


Differences

by princessintheshadows



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-10-08 17:39:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 43,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10392273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princessintheshadows/pseuds/princessintheshadows
Summary: Oshiro Ayane was the complete opposite of what Yuzuru Hanyu prefers for a girl. She wasn't cute (in her opinion.), she was not very good with her Japanese and she doesn't figure skate... Not anymore that is.She was completely aware of that and yet she couldn't stop falling for him--while hiding one embarrassing fact that she is an obsessed fan of his.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi people!
> 
> This is really my first time writing a fanfic about a real person, and I tbh don't know how this story will go... But I'll try my best! :')
> 
> if the dialogues are italicized, that means they're talking in Japanese. And if they aren't, well, they're speaking in English. :')

After spending the whole night watching figure skating performances on YouTube, the sun has finally risen and once the sunlight falls onto Oshiro Ayane’s window, she woke up.

The first thing she did was scratch her eyes to slightly wake her up and then searched for her phone that she left beside her bed, knowing that she immediately fell into a deep sleep after finishing Yuzuru Hanyu’s Romeo and Juliet free skate back at Worlds. That was the one competition she missed to watch, so she just had to watch every skater’s performance last night.

Once she found her phone, she turned it on and checked for the time. 9:48 AM. It was still early in her opinion, but she counted and she already had more than 5 hours of sleep which was the usual. She kicked her blankets off and left the bed unfixed as she plans to do so after getting breakfast. Her feet stopped for a moment in front of the mirror to check on her appearance—as for some reason, she never misses a day without a horrible bed head.

Ah, and there it was. Her usually straight black hair that falls up to her upper back were messy and each strand looked like they were all tangled, as if someone purposely ruffles her hair the whole time she is asleep. Sometimes, she asks herself how in heaven’s name she sleeps to get bed head like this.

A groan of frustration escaped from her mouth as she now continued her way to the kitchen. She was used to receiving breakfast by the time she wakes up since her mother usually wakes up earlier than her and leaves a serving before leaving home.

The house was silent, there no other noise besides her footsteps which meant that her parents were probably out now, as usual. By the time she arrived at the kitchen, she quickly noticed the microwave with a note stuck by the microwave door with a familiar handwriting.

_“Ayane,_

_We’ll be out for a week because of a business trip. As usual, go to Uncle Brian if you feel lonely here. Hope you enjoy the holidays with him while we’re gone._

_Dad and I will promise to bring souvenirs!_

_Love you.”_

It was normal for Ayane to be left alone in the house, her mother, Emily, was an architect while her father, Takeru, was an engineer. They both work together to create and build different kinds of buildings in and out of Canada. The company they were in was pretty well-known and the two were also very good with their job.

There were times where there was only one who’ll leave, but usually both of them were. And while they were gone, their daughter would habitually stop by to Brian Orser as she was never used to being alone at a certain place. The figure skating coach was one of Emily’s close friends, and the female mostly grew up with him.

Right after eating breakfast, she did her usual morning routine before she was off to the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club, where she always go to whenever nobody was home—since Brian was a head instructor there.

Ayane was a member at the club. Ever since the figure skating coach had been hired to work at the place, her parents thought of applying her for a membership just so she could visit him during the times they were not home.

“ _Good morning!_ ” The female was greeted by the receptionist—in Japanese—by the time she stepped inside the building.

A smile formed on her face as she bowed and greeted her back in the same language. The receptionist was good friends with Ayane as the female never really picks anyone to be friends with as long as they’re nice and approachable people. She being half-Japanese, the older female was taught a few Japanese sentences from her.

The female waltzes on her way inside the skating department and was immediately greeted by Tracy Wilson, one of the coaches there.

The female coach’s mouth curved into a smile as she saw Ayane walk in. She immediately walked up to her, slinging an arm around the younger’s shoulders. “It’s been a while, Ayane!”

She chuckled and started walking with her to the rink. “Yeah. It took mom and dad two months to finally get another big project. I think they’re on their way to Barcelona today? I don’t know, never listened to their job-related stuff.” She replied.

“I kinda miss this place even though I stopped skating since 2007.”

It saddened Tracy about how the female does not care about her figure skating past. The older used to choreograph programs for her back when she used to compete. Now it was just a memory and ice skating was just a hobby for her now.

“Aya!” The two looked up to see Brian by the ice rink waving. “It’s been a while. Where have you been all these two months that you have been away?”

The female shrugged and repeated what she said to Tracy about her parents a while ago. “I’ll be coming here every day for a week, too!” She added and the male coach gave her a thumbs up.

“Make yourself at home, go rent some ice skates there by the counter. Do your thing, as usual.” He said. “Oh, we also have a new member just a month ago. Be sure to be nice to him—well, I’m pretty sure you’ll like him!” He chuckled before skating back in the middle of the rink to move his attention back to his students.

Ayane was only able to shrug at what Brian latterly said and sat by the bench close to the barriers to watch the figure skaters up close. Tracy had already left to help Brian. She spotted one of the skaters she was close with, the Spanish descent Javier Fernandez waved at her with a big grin. She waved back smiling as well.

Literally just a few minutes after she sat on the bench, she was completely bored out of her mind. By the time the skaters were told to take a short break, she finally thought of taking a few circles around the rink.

She stood up and went up to the counter where they were renting ice skates then immediately went back to the same bench to change her shoes by the time she received a rental skate with the size she needed.

A tall male walked in and sat a few inches away from the female, greeting her a good morning with an accent she was very familiar with—Japanese. He was also tying his ice skates with a yawn.

“ _Good morning…_ ” Ayane lazily greeted back in Japanese, as it was a habit of her to do so once she realizes that she was talking to a fellow person of her descent. And it was also good practice to talk to a fellow Japanese person, as she has only learned the language from her father.

 _Wait, Japanese? Uncle Brian had a Japanese member?_ She thought to herself, her eyebrows meeting in confusion. Her eyes shifted to the left, where the male was, to check who this unfamiliar Cricket Club member was.

Her eyes widened in complete shock once she realizes who the person was. She silently backed away from him, earning a surprised glance from the male when he felt the bench squeak. Her eyes moved away from him, pretending to be doing something else which somehow worked, he went back to tying his skates.

The female slapped her cheeks and looked at the Japanese again, in case her brain was still half dreaming from 5 hours of sleep.

But it wasn’t. Right in front of her was none other than Hanyu Yuzuru, the figure skater she has looked up to back when she was figure skating. He was still her favorite skater even after she gave up on the sport.

“Yuzu! You’re pretty late today, what happened?” Brian greeted the Japanese skater once he saw him, skating up to the barriers which was close to the benches.

Yuzuru smiled shyly and bowed, apologizing. “I um… Slept… Too much?” He said, struggling with the right English words to use. In the end, he joined with the other skaters after a short lecture from the male coach about going to practice at the right time. The Japanese half-joked that he also got lost getting to the place, as today he wasn’t with his mother.

Ayane found—has always found—the Japanese skater’s smile and way of English speaking to be cute. Seeing and hearing them up close and personal made her heart feel warm for some reason. But aside from that, she ended up staying at the bench as she was still in the state of shock from seeing him up close, specifically 4 inches close. She has watched him skate personally back when she was still figure skating, but only by the bleachers.

When the two coaches called for another break after noticing how tired the skaters were, and when Ayane saw Yuzuru skating out of the rink, she finally had the chance to skate. When the blades on her skates touched the ice, she had an immense feeling of freedom, a smile appearing on her face.

“Yuzu, you going back already?” The Spanish skater Javier Fernandez asked Yuzuru after he noticed the Japanese rushing back to the rink after a few drinks from his water bottle.

He nodded, his face crinkling a bit and his eyes looking up, “Hm… Yeah. I want to… Jump more.” He said.

Javier ended up joining with him, but instead of trying a few jumps like what Yuzuru plans, he skated up to Ayane who has been circling around the rink with a grin.

Both he and the female have been good friends since he joined the Cricket Club. The Spanish skater treated her nicely which immediately earned her trust after a few days of making lame jokes that she just couldn’t stop laughing at since the day he started practicing.

“Mi amigo, very nice to see you again.” Smiled Javier who just arrived beside Ayane.

“Hey, Javi.” The female greeted back with a smile.

The two exchanged their own current concerns, Ayane ranting a few about how her math teacher makes no sense at all every time during his class—in which Javier just ends up laughing at. “Well, we’re on holidays right now so I’m just trying to make each day productive or fun.” She added.

“That’s pretty nice,” Replied the Spanish skater whose eyes shifted to the lone Japanese skater still doing jumps. “But more importantly… What do you think of our new member, hm?”

He gave out a teasing smirk, nudging Ayane’s arm with his elbow since he always knew that the female was a big fan of Yuzuru. Now that the Japanese was part of the Cricket Club, he was one of the few people who anticipated her reaction about it.

The female had to push Javier just to stop him from teasing her once they ended up skating close to Yuzuru. He was only able to laugh and continue teasing her by the time they left the Japanese’s field of vision.

After Yuzuru finally finished his extra jumps, curiosity hit him and he walked up to Brian to ask about the girl who greeted him a good morning in Japanese, who was also with Javier in the rink as of the moment.

“She’s the daughter of one of my close friends,” Brian answered as he watches Ayane and Javier chat around the rink. “You don’t know her, Yuzu? She used to figure skate and join at international competitions. Ayane Oshiro.”

The Japanese was only able to tilt his head and shrug, as he has no idea who in heaven’s name was Oshiro Ayane. The male coach chuckled, “Well, I can’t blame you for that. Aya was never good with people. If Javi didn’t make the first move, they wouldn’t be good friends right now.”

“Now that she stopped, she just stops by here whenever she’s alone at her house chatting with the other members or maybe skating around the rink. She’s also half-Japanese but I’m not sure if she can speak fluently since she was raised here.” Brian added.

Yuzuru ended up nodding through everything, going back to the rink while understanding everything Brian told him through his head. And once everything finally sank in, one thing just couldn’t get off his mind. _Why did she stop?_

For him, figure skating was everything and he didn’t know any other reason for Ayane to stop like that. So he found his feet gliding through the ice, skating up to the female and Javier.

At that moment, the female wanted to run away. But she wasn’t able to because before she ever could, Nam arrived just right behind her stopping her chance of escaping.

“What’cha all talking about?” The Canadian skater grinned.

“ _Oshiro Ayane-san, right?_ ” Yuzuru asked, speaking in Japanese in which made Javier and Nam stop and look at him confusingly.

Ayane nodded, bowing. “ _Y-yes. Nice to meet you, Hanyu Yuzuru-san…”_ She shyly tried to avoid his eyes, her heart beating faster and faster from waiting for him to retort. She felt very self-conscious.

“ _Why… Did you give up figure skating?_ ”


	2. Chapter 2

Ayane curved her mouth into a slight smile before leaving Yuzuru and the other two boys in the rink. Of all the questions he had to ask, it just had to be _that._ He can ask anything, just not the reason why she stopped figure skating.

When their eyes met for just a few seconds, those unique gray eyes she had looked so dull and boring—as if there was something she was hiding. A person’s eyes have always been the ones who tell what a person truly feels, and Ayane’s gray orbs just made Yuzuru confused about everything.

He wanted to skate after her to apologize, but before he could ever do it he was stopped by Nam who held onto his wrist. “I suggest not to chase after her when she’s at that state.” He said, the Japanese becoming more confused.

“True. The last time I asked her the same question, she punched and ignored me for a couple of days,” Javier said. “You were lucky she just walked away.”

Yuzuru’s eyebrows met as he felt like he was the only one who didn’t know about Ayane—which was true. But he was just itching for an answer since he felt twice as guilty as before, it seemed like everybody knows something he doesn’t.

“Can you tell me why?” He asked but the two shook their heads in unison—coincidentally.

“Sorry amigo, but even we don’t know the reason why she gave up.” Said Javier with a sigh.

“Hmmm, you can try googling her if you wanna know more about Yana.” Nam suggested. “But do keep in mind that you shouldn’t believe in the articles. They’re mostly rumors and based on stupid opinions by people who has no idea who she really is.”

Outside the rink, Brian found Ayane struggling to remove the rented ice skates she was wearing as fast as she can. The look on her face made it obvious that she wasn’t in the mood anymore. “Planning on leaving, Aya?”

The female raised her head to see the coach in front of her. She pulled out a weak smile and said: “Yeah. My feet got tired being on the ice, I guess. I’ll stay at a café and go home before the sun sets.”

Speaking of going back home, she realized she’ll have trouble sleeping again.

Brian nodded and told her to take care. He went back to the rink with Tracy following, calling all the skaters back to the rink to continue practice.

“Ah, chica!” Javier yelled to get Ayane’s attention, but she unfortunately didn’t look back as she was never called a cutie before. He yelled again and this time with her own name in which the female finally responded by looking back at the rink.

“Make sure to call me whenever you feel lonely!” He added while waving.

Nam joined as well, agreeing to call him as well, “Me too, Yana!”

“Stop making up stupid nicknames, noodles!” Ayane stuck her tongue out before continuing to walk out of the place.

Yuzuru watched them with a blank stare, clueless.

\---

The Japanese arrived home with a sigh of exhaustion. His mother had been waiting for him to arrive, sitting by the table with newly cooked food. He enjoyed another night of dinner with just the two of them—three as he included Pooh-san this night, saying that the tissue box also wanted to taste the food tonight.

He plopped on his bed by the time he arrived in his room. The bag he brought with him back at practice was just right in front of him, deciding to take out his phone which was placed inside one of the pockets. Turning it on, he stared aimlessly at his phone screen, his mind wandering on the guilt that has not left him still after obliviously asking Ayane a sensitive question.

It wasn’t his fault, he didn’t know that she didn’t like talking about her past. But after having the short conversation with Javier and Nam, he couldn’t help but blame himself when the female left the rink.

His finger started swiping through the internet browser of his phone, aimlessly tying in the female’s full name in the search engine and tapping enter right after. The only time he snapped back to reality was when the browser loaded and pictures of a younger looking Oshiro Ayane appeared on the screen.

He scrolled down and found that majority of the results he found were news and articles from different sites about Ayane’s mysterious reason why she quit figure skating after the Junior Grand Prix 2009 in December 2009.

“This was her first Junior Grand Prix and she quit right after getting fifth?” Yuzuru muttered to himself in complete disbelief. He remembered how he won his first gold medal in the same event, and wondered why he never saw Ayane before. Not even the pictures of her in her program costumes helped, she was a complete stranger.

He continued reading one article after another, also its comments which was the very reason that ticked him off. He didn’t know who Oshiro Ayane was, but the way the comments he read that talked about her were as if they knew so much about her enough for them to judge her like that.

_“Wow, to think she actually got fifth.”_

_“She’s not even graceful hahaha”_

_“I bet she gave up because she finally realized that she was shit after all XD”_

_“I heard she was good and expected a good performance from her… smh”_

After the fifth article, Yuzuru wanted to throw his phone away from all the toxic comments he just read. Was this maybe one of the reasons why she gave up figure skating? It was reasonable, she probably has no idea why people don’t like her.

He felt bad. _She must’ve cared so much about what people think that it was too much for her to handle._ Why should someone even continue showing up in front of a sea of people who majority do not like her.

He was able to watch a few of her old programs, and up to this time he still has no idea why they didn’t like Ayane. In a figure skater’s perspective, Yuzuru can see how she was having fun in all of the programs he was able to watch. The gray eyes he knew were twinkling, she had one of the most charming smiles he has ever seen and it was obvious that she spent so much time perfecting each and every little element on her programs.

What was so bad about that?

“Oshiro Ayane, what are you doing now that you have given up?” He muttered, as if he was talking to Ayane—when actually, he was just facing his phone screen that flashed the female wearing her old free skate costume while doing a Biellmann Spin.

Time passed by as he spent more time researching on her just because of curiosity. He ended up drifting into sleep after finishing watching a video of the female’s free skate in the Junior Grand Prix back in 2009.

\---

Yuzuru saw her again this morning, skating alone in the rink. Unlike yesterday, he was able to arrive early with his mother—who was now by the benches making herself feel comfortable. He went up to Javier and Nam once he saw them close to the barriers chatting.

It was still early for practice to start. Few of the skaters were still arriving, while the others who were already present spent their time chatting with the others to kill time. The Japanese’s eyes watched Ayane doing an eagle spread then what seemed like a toe loop jump—double toe loop. The frustration in her eyes made it obvious that she planned a triple.

“Yuzu!” Javier waved at Yuzuru who was walking up to him and the Canadian skater.  Nam slung an arm around the Japanese with his usual grin.

“Yana arrived earlier than all of us today. I caught her reading a book while circling the rink just half an hour ago!” Said the Canadian skater. “Amazing she didn’t bump into the barriers.”

Javier called out for the female, waving his hand up high just for her to spot him. She easily saw the Spanish skater and smiled to wave back at him and Nam, ignoring Yuzuru who tried to look at her in the eyes just to get her attention.

The Japanese’s shoulders sank and muttered something in his language, “ _I just wanted to apologize…_ ”

“Yuzu, man speak in English please.” Nam commented when he heard him. Yuzuru smiled weakly with a nod and apologized.

Javier glanced over to the Japanese’s skates. Once he realized that he didn’t have skate guards on, he went behind him and pushed him to the rink. Yuzuru let the slipperiness of the ice guide him to where he was headed, and coincidentally, he ended up in front of Ayane.

Their eyes met for a few seconds, then the female skated away—only to be stopped suddenly from Yuzuru’s grip. “ _Wait!_ ”

“ _What is it?_ What do you want, Hanyu-san?” Ayane replied, her horrible Japanese made her jump from the two languages from time to time.

Yuzuru gulped, holding onto her wrist tighter in which he didn’t realize. “ _I’m sorry for insensitively asking a question that you didn’t want to talk about. I should’ve thought about it before even deciding to ask you…”_

The Japanese waited for a reply from her, but it never came. Instead, he was confused as he looked at her who gave out a blank stare, as if she was thinking about something. Her eyebrows meeting made it clear she was thinking about something.

Yuzuru faked a cough which made Ayane snap back to reality, slightly shaking her head.

“ _I-I’m sorry!_ ” She blurted, slightly bowing. “I-I wasn’t able to understand a few things about what you said…” She could feel her cheeks heating up from the embarrassment she was feeling.

The Japanese raised an eyebrow in disbelief and confusion. She kept jumping from Japanese to English that it was hard for him to understand. “Oh… Um…” After finally sinking in everything she said, he tried to construct a good English sentence for her to understand but Ayane ended up chuckling.

“Ah but don’t worry… _I understood half of what you said…_ Probably…” She muttered, avoiding his eyes. “ _I’m pretty bad with Japanese since I’ve only talked with dad…. Um…”_

Yuzuru ended up tilting his head in confusion as he tried to wait for more of what Ayane is planning to say.

“ _I’m so sorry,_ I can’t even construct a sentence in Japanese!” She cried in frustration and ended up bowing lower. Once she raised her head, she gave out a sheepish smile to him which meant that everything was finally okay.

The fact that one was fluent in English but is struggling with Japanese, while the other wan was fluent in Japanese but struggling in English made them both laugh. What’s worse, Ayane couldn’t keep up with a long Japanese conversation, as she always ended up becoming confused after hearing long sentences from Yuzuru.

“This is a really messed up language barrier.” The female said, Yuzuru nodding.

“ _We’re really screwed. How do we communicate?”_ Replied the Japanese.

Ayane stopped laughing to ask him a few questions of what he just said as she wasn’t very familiar with the words he used. Yuzuru had to flail his arms as he thinks of the English words that was in his vocabulary just to explain to the female—but of course, he was not able to convey what he really wanted to say.

“I… Honestly clueless…” Yuzuru sighed, shoulders sinking. He raised his head once again to get to Ayane’s eye level, smiling.

“I’m sorry, Oshiro-san.”

The female smiled and punched him light in the arm, “ _There’s nothing to be worried about!_ ”

“Really?”

“Yeah… _I’m sorry for being sensitive._ You didn’t know anything about it, it’s my fault.” Ayane replied, giving out a thumbs up.

Yuzuru chuckled slightly and said, “ _I’m still struggling with you jumping into different languages, but I got you.”_

The female stared at him for quite a while before replying that she didn’t get what he said except for bits and pieces of words she knew. This was going to be a really big problem for the two, especially for Ayane.


	3. Chapter 3

Ayane left the rink, leaving Yuzuru. He told her he planned on doing a few practice quad jumps before practice starts, while she planned on making herself at home by the benches reading a book she just brought for today.

“I’m honestly clueless on how I should spend my holidays. I’m not really feeling productive each day.” She said sheepishly, the Japanese could only smile with his teeth out.

Oh how she loved those smiles of his.

By the time she left the rink, Nam greeted her. “Hey, so how was it having a really long chat with your idol?”

He earned a punch in the stomach from that. “O-ow, geez Yana… You’ve been really violent after quitting figure skating.” The Canadian laughed, holding onto his stomach painfully.

“I’ve been training martial arts for three years, what do you expect?” Replied the female.

Nam has heard her say that for quite a number of times now. He knows fully well that after figure skating she attempted to try on martial arts, and fortunately, she fell in love with it and continued. Well, it was better than staying depressed because of figure skating.

“I expect you showing off some kicks and stuff, not hurting me!” Ayane laughed at Nam’s statement and left him still struggling to stand straight, telling him that he’ll be okay after a few more minutes.

Brian announced minutes later—Nam was finally okay after the punch in the stomach—and announced practice to start. Since majority of the skaters have their own upcoming competitions, he and Tracy decided on a one by one performance of their programs after a few drills.

Ayane was sitting by the bench close to the rink and noticed that right beside her was the infamous Pooh tissue box that Yuzuru owns. A smile was brought up to her face when she saw the object, patting its head and thinking about the countless programs she had watched where he saw the Japanese with Pooh.

The childish trait of Yuzuru because of his love for Pooh was really cute, she had always wanted to see him play with the tissue box in person.

Her eyes moved back to the rink, watching the skaters leave one by one when Brian announced that Yuzuru should stay to practice his short program. The female’s eyes lit up, now eagerly watching the Japanese skate around the rink while doing practice jumps while the music still hasn’t played. She’ll be one of the first people to watch and hear his short program before any other fan.

“Oho, chica seems to be very excited!” Javier shows up, sitting next to her and then earning a punch from the female.

“But you can’t deny it, you’re really excited Yana!” Nam was next to arrive, sitting on the other side of the bench next to the female as well.

Ayane was only able to focus back on Yuzuru with a pout. The music played, and then it was as if everything went black besides the Japanese and the spacious rink.

His moves were captivating, the jumps, spins, and oh the beautiful step sequence—she was enticed, attracted, her eyes couldn’t move away from the tall and slender Japanese skater that was moving along with the music as if he just owned it.

And Ayane knew he was going to nail it. As if it was already normal for Yuzuru to be able to nail a fantastic performance because he was that amazing. But when he fell on his quadruple Salchow, she was reminded that he was also human and he makes mistakes—she just loved that about him.

Yuzuru was her inspiration, she looked up to him ever since she started figure skating. She knew him through intense researching about other figure skaters her age—because she was that addicted to the sport back then. The fact that he was amazing and that he practices so much just to provide such an amazing performance for everyone was captivating. Compared to her, she wasn’t liked by most people.

But even when there were others who never liked him in a way, he never got affected and continue to skate. That mere fact was something Ayane wanted to have back then. If she was strong like Yuzuru, she wouldn’t have given up in the first place.

But she was weak, and time flew to the point that she gave up. Her passion for figure skating was gone and all that was left was a 15-year-old girl questioning herself if she ever loved the sport in the first place.

It didn’t take long for her to move on though. Three months after quitting, her parents made her try taekwondo. It was the total opposite of figure skating because she didn’t need to be graceful. She didn’t need to walk on slippery ice with sharp blades attached to her two feet.

The song ended, making the female snap back to reality. She found Yuzuru walking out of the rink while catching his breath, a smile curving once he saw her. But that smile immediately disappeared when he realized his beloved Pooh wasn’t by the bench where he knew he left him.

“Where’s Pooh?” The Japanese asked, a worried tone evident in his voice.

The three who were sitting next to each other—namely Javier, Nam and Ayane—immediately started searching for the tissue box. It didn’t take long though for Nam to find him under the bench they were sitting on.

“Found him!” Cheered the Canadian skater, raising Pooh up for everyone to see.

Yuzuru immediately snatched him, giving Nam a slight bow as a thanks and proceeded to dusting Pooh off, apologizing for leaving him behind. He pinched Pooh’s cheeks with a sad expression.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get to see me practice my program,” He said. “And I even promised you’ll be the first person to see it!”

Just looking at him and his favorite Pooh made Ayane smile. After all, she had been waiting for this to happen, seeing Yuzuru being all cute with his precious Winnie the Pooh tissue box. She saw him take a few tissues out and wiped his nose before throwing it to a nearby trash bin.

At this moment, it was Nam’s turn to practice his program so he skated up to the rink and met Brian and Tracy along the way.

Yuzuru sat right next to Ayane, Pooh still in his hands. He would occasionally pat its head or pinch its cheeks and a smile would appear on his face as he does so—and the female just loved it.

“ _Cute…”_ She muttered under her breath as her eyes could not move away from the Japanese. It still feels like a dream to see him right in front of her. She really needs to get used to all of this as soon as possible, her heart just cannot take it.

Yuzuru glanced up to her with a smile still intact. He moved Pooh up to face her, holding onto one of its hands shaking it as if the tissue box was waving at her. “ _Pooh says hi!”_ He chimed, as if he translated what Pooh the tissue box was gesturing.

It made Ayane giggle, taking Pooh’s hand and shaking it. “ _It’s very nice to finally meet you, Pooh!_ ” She played along with the small act as they both laugh and continued playing with the tissue box.

_Ah, there goes your heart again, Ayane._

“He’s happy to meet you too.” Yuzuru replied with a smile, shifting his attention back to Pooh in affection.

While Javier disappeared off somewhere to refill his water bottle, the two sat in silence trying to think of topics to talk about. They actually had so much to ask and say, but it felt as if it wasn’t the right time.

 _Would it be weird and awkward to talk about our likes and dislikes in a bat?_ Ayane thought to herself, playing with her fingers—she always does that when she’s nervous.

 _Is it bad to get to know her at this point in time? Is she really not mad about me because of the question?_ And there was Yuzuru having trouble what to say next which made him fiddle around with his tissue box.

So he ended up looking at her. Observing her appearance, her movements, behavior, just everything. She had chubby cheeks, and she wasn’t slim either—that was the first thing he noticed. Her hair was black, long and shiny, kind of what a normal Asian would have. But what took most of his attention was her beautiful gray eyes, fascinating. Her overall appearance was average, but there was something about her that was so charming, and he liked that.

But who cares about appearances? She was mysterious in a way, as if she was inside a box, wrapped in all kinds of ropes, locked in chains with countless padlocks—he wanted to unwrap her and get to know her. What is Ayane like? What kind of food does she love eating? What kind of person is she actually?

“ _Can I… Know more about you?”_ As if his mouth had a mind of its own, he blurted that out unexpectedly.

Ayane had to blink a few times to remind her she wasn’t dreaming. “ _Why not?”_ She smiled.

The Japanese hummed for a few moments to think of something to ask, “ _Well, you used to be slimmer back then. What happened?”_

“Because figure skaters need to be slim, I grew up eating small portions to maintain my body since I gain weight easily.” She answered, then seeing Yuzuru tilting his head a bit in confusion.

“Maintain?”

“Uh…. Maintain… _It’s like keeping it the same… Or something?”_ Ayane replied, unsure of her own answer.

The Japanese seemed to have got it since his eyes lit up and raised a thumbs up, “Oh! I got you!” He smiled.

Their conversation seemed to go on smoothly with the two as they get to know each other more and more. Ayane told him about how she can eat four sushi rolls and six rice balls in one serving—and she was proud of that.

“Mom and dad are always out of the house. I hate being alone so I usually leave and go to a more crowded place.” She explained the reason why she always heads to the Cricket Club. “This place is like my second home. I love it here, I almost treat Uncle Brian as my second dad because I’m always here.”

“Oh! He’s also the one who taught me how to ice skate, he was also my coach.” She added as she remembers the old days. “But no matter how good of a coach you have, if you’re just not cut out for figure skating, you’ll never be the best.”

Yuzuru poked Ayane’s cheek using Pooh which made her look at him confusingly. “Smile,” He said. “Whatever your reason is, it’s okay. I won’t force you into telling me why.”

_Calm down, Ayane. He’s just naturally nice. He’s just a well-educated young gentleman raised by amazing parents, that’s why he’s acting like this._

\---

“So how did you fall asleep last night?”

The only people who stayed in the rink after practice was the two coaches, Ayane, Javier, and Nam. Yuzuru was fixing his things getting ready to leave, his mother waiting for him by the door.

Ayane was sitting by the bench while watching his friends fixing their own belongings. “I left the lights on, played music in my room and watched figure skating videos until I fell asleep.” She replied.

“You could’ve talked to us? You got our numbers, right?” Nam stated, taking his phone out in case the female shakes her head.

“Hm, yeah. But I feel like you guys are always tired after practice.”

Javier bids goodbye, carrying his bag and walking away from the group. Yuzuru follows and asks, “Is it hard for Oshiro-san to sleep during night?”

“Yeah, she can endure staying at home when it’s broad daylight, but she hates the dark and the silence. I don’t know much—she really hates talking about her weaknesses.” Javier answered, shrugging.

“I’ve know her for almost a year and she still keeps a lot of secrets from me. And to think me and Nam are one of the closest friends she has.”


	4. Chapter 4

“BRING FOOD TOMORROW!”

Ayane had to move her phone inches away from her ear just to make sure she doesn’t go deaf from Nam’s excuse of a greeting after accepting a phone call. Her ear hurt to the point that she wanted to immediately press ‘end’. But this was Nam Nguyen, he would surely end up knocking at the door of her house if she ignores him. And yes, this has happened before.

“And why is that?” She asked, while her other hand was busy cooking dinner.

The Canadian skater had to hum for a while as he thinks of what to say, “Remember those rice triangle-shaped thingy you brought one time?”

“ _Onigiri…_ Rice balls.” Ayane corrected.

“Yeah, that. I’m craving for Yana’s famous cooking, so is Javi!” Nam added cheerfully.

She rolled her eyes and sighed, but smiled right after. “It’s Ayane, noodles. Okay then, what do you specifically want besides those rice balls?”

The Canadian skater yelled something about having a picnic tomorrow, and thus they continued their chat. He wanted it to be mainly Japanese food if possible—Ayane has no idea what got him into craving for them. They ended up talking until 1, stopping once the female told him she needed sleep.

“Sure, nighty night, Yana!” Nam said before ending the call—purposely cutting the female off about correcting her name again. The thought of being able to keep her company for the night made him smile, as he has been recently guilty about leaving her on her own not being able to sleep.

\---

“ _Good morning!_ ” Ayane loudly greeted once she slammed the door open, carrying a few bags of containers with food.

Since majority of the skaters were English speakers, they were able to glance up to her in confusion before going back to their own businesses as they did not understand what the female just yelled about.

Ayane skipped up to the usual bench she always sits on, greeting Pooh-san when she saw the tissue box placed on the end of the same bench. She sat down, placing the bags right next to her and her eyes shifted to the rink.

The very first person she saw was Yuzuru doing quads in the middle of the rink. Javier was too, but of course the female had her eyes plastered on the Japanese, a smile curving up when she saw him land a beautiful quadruple toe loop. Then her heart started racing once she realizes he was skating out of the rink.

“Morning,” He smiled at her, making her look up to him as if he completely got her attention. The smile she saw in him made her feel as if her heart was close to melting—she even had to hold onto her chest where her heart was located, and there she could feel how her heart was still beating fast, knowing perfectly why.

“You are very lively today. _You even greeted everyone a good morning in Japanese!_ ” He added chuckling while taking a few tissues from his beloved Pooh-san, sitting down where the tissue box was once placed in, the object was now snuggling in his arms.

Ayane couldn’t help but chuckle as well, “I had a good night’s sleep without worrying about being alone.” She answered. “I’m actually pretty tired from sleeping at 1 AM and waking up early.”

“Oh, why sleep and wake up early?” Yuzuru asked, tilting his head to the side—in which he always does whenever he was confused or thinking of the correct words to use in English.

“Well, a certain guy named Nam Nguyen was craving for my cooking, and since I was in a very good mood, I made lots!” She replied, patting a container that was carefully placed in one of the bags she brought. “Even though I grew up here in Canada, I’m really into Japanese food!”

 _Speaking of food, my mom forgot to cook lunch for me today._ Yuzuru mentally told himself, reminding him that his mother left the Cricket club after accompanying him as she remembered that she forgot to bring lunch for him.

He stood up for a few minutes to throw away the tissues he used to the trash bin. But before he could ever go back to Ayane, Tracy called for the skaters to assemble in the rink as practice was about to start. And there the female stayed in the bench once again as usual, watching them warm up.

It has been exactly four days since Yuzuru has finally acknowledged her existence. Compared to the first days they have met, she was getting used to his presence better than before. She found it funny how she used to imagine how she would reach back then if she ever meet him—squealing, asking a picture with him, and giving out a long-ass speech about how he was such an inspiration to her.

 It just didn’t turn out that way, and now she just hopes that he doesn’t catch her fangirling—hiding the fact that she is actually an obsessed fan of Yuzuru.

But she slowly realizes that—after interacting with the Japanese—he is actually just a normal 17-turning-18-year-old boy who is just surprisingly cute and sexy all at the same time (with also amazing genes) and a very kind gentleman raised well by his parents.

Yuzuru wasn’t a prince, or any kind of magical creature like in one of those fairytales, he was just a simple human who is passionate about his sport. He can make mistakes, he can feel sad and disappointed. He’s not perfect.

There wasn’t a day where Ayane forgets thinking about Yuzuru. Her train of thoughts seemed to go on for so long to the point that the only time she snapped back to reality was when Brian announced that it was lunch time, and that Nam and Javier slapped her from the back painfully.

“OW!”

“Oh, she’s back to normal.” Nam said, walking in front of her to check if she wasn’t in a daze anymore.

The female shook her head slightly and blinked a few times. “What? What happened?” She asked.

“You were spacing out, chica. Everyone was already out of the rink and yet you were still staring.” Javier answered. He looked back at the rink only to realize that there was still one certain person inside. “Oh, well… Everyone besides Yuzu. But I don’t think he was the one you were looking at.”

The Canadian skater nodded, “But anyway! Food, lunch, rice balls!”

Ayane sighed, preparing to take the bags she brought. But then she realized they all disappeared from where they were placed in and saw the two boys carrying them, earning a smile on her face. The three went to a more spacious floor, Javier bringing out a cloth he brought to feel the ‘picnic vibe’.

“W-wait, you seriously brought that with you?” Surprised Ayane chuckled as she admired the cute red and yellow checkered colors, it reminded her of Pooh—then Yuzuru. Speaking of Yuzuru, where is he?

“Yuzu! Come eat with us!” Speaking of the devil, there he was walking up to the three confusingly.

He sat down next to Javier, with Ayane to his right who was now opening the container of food she brought with her. The Spanish and Canadian skaters were wowed and immediately took out the utensils they brought as they start to eat.

The female chuckled as she watches the two pig out. She glanced over to Yuzuru who was hugging his knees watching them as well. She fumbled her hand inside one of the bags and luckily found two disposable chopsticks.

“Don’t you have lunch, Yuzu?” Nam asked after swallowing a slice of sushi he ate. “Come join us!”

Ayane handed him the spare chopsticks she found, gesturing the Japanese to eat with them. “I’m waiting for mother to come though.”

Javier stabbed a sushi slice with his fork and shoved it to Yuzuru’s mouth, “Shut up and eat. Ayane’s cooking is delicioso!”

The Japanese chewed thoroughly, then his eyes lit up and a smile formed in his mouth that was currently chewing the sushi that the Spanish shoved into him—thankfully he didn’t get stabbed by the fork.

“ _It’s really good!”_

“I’m gonna guess that he said it tastes good.” Nam chuckled. “Go accept the chopsticks, Yuzuru! It’s not every day you get to taste the amazing food cooked by Yana!”

Yuzuru promised he’ll eat his mom’s food by the time it arrives, but for now he wanted to taste more of the food Ayane cooked. And what’s more is that they’re all Japanese food. Sushi, onigiri, karaage, tamagoyaki, “I also made you guys some miso soup to warm you up!” And even miso soup!

 “Miso soup please!” Yuzuru cheered, raising his arms up like a little child.

Ayane handed him the chopsticks once again, and he finally took it. Then, she took the cups she brought with her, pouring soup on one of them for the Japanese.

Outside the rink meanwhile was a woman who seemed to be finding somebody as her head turned in all directions while walking. Her hands were carefully holding onto a beautifully wrapped bento. Brian greeted her with a smile once he realized who it was, “Mrs. Hanyu! Is there anything I can do for you?”

The woman, Yuzuru’s mother, raised the bento which gestured that she was trying to find her son to give it to him. She made the effort of cooking food for him knowing that the Japanese had always preferred eating homemade food rather than outside; this is why she even accompanied him to Canada in the first place.

“Ma’am, if you’re looking for Yuzuru, he’s with his friends there by the corner, enjoying a cute indoor picnic.” Tracy pointed the Japanese, a chuckle escaping from her as she thought about how cute the four were.

A smile was brought to Mrs. Hanyu’s face as she watches her son laugh along with the others. She always had this slight worry of not being able to make friends because of the language barrier, but here he was having fun with a Spanish and Canadian skater, and a girl was not familiar of.

She called for the female coach’s attention again and asked if she could hand the bento over to Yuzuru and telling him not to worry about finishing it. Tracy accepted the favor, earning a bow from Mrs. Hanyu before leaving the rink.

The female coach walked over to the four, handing Yuzuru the bento. “Your mom said not to worry about finishing it if you can’t.” She said.

The Japanese accepted the bento, slightly bowing as a thank you.

“Where’s mother?” He then asked while chewing the ends of the chopsticks he was holding.

“She quickly left after asking me to give it to you.”

Ayane handed Tracy an onigiri before leaving. The female coach smiled, thanking her with a slight feeling of excitement knowing how delicious the female cooks.

“Hey, Yuzu go on and open your mom’s lunch for you!” Nam said, his spoon ready to get a taste of the Japanese’s bento.

Javier nodded, “You should eat it while it’s still hot!”

Yuzuru nodded, unwrapping the cloth and opening the container. A delicious aroma emitted from the bento which captivated the three. Without a second thought, the Canadian skater had already took a serving with his spoon and immediately tasting it.

He did not regret what he just did.

“Stir-fried tofu and vegetables!” Ayane chimed. “It’s smells really good, Hanyu-kun.”

“She always cooks delicious food… She never fails us when it comes to food.” Yuzuru slightly crinkled his nose, feeling frustrated as he wasn’t able to express what he truly wanted to say. He faced the female and added, “ _I’m not good at cooking so my mom accompanied me here in Canada._ ”

Ayane chuckled, nodding. “ _Yeah, I heard that in an interview._ ”

Their Japanese conversation seemed to continue, as she asks a few questions about words she heard from him that she was not familiar with. Sometimes whenever she couldn’t completely understand a sentence, she had to rely on context clues to guess what it meant. Javier and Nam looked at them confusingly while chewing their food.

“Geez, speak in English!” The Canadian skater yelled to cut them off, in which he only got chuckles from the two.

“Sorry, sorry. He said that he can’t live without his mom’s food.” The female always had that habit of jumping from the other language. Once she hears someone speak in Japanese, she starts speaking the same language.

 “Ah yeah, I heard you live with your mom, Yuzu.” Javier commented, taking another onigiri from the container—probably his sixth.

Yuzuru used his chopsticks and took a bite of his lunch, nodding. He also noticed how Ayane was looking over to it, which led him to offer her and Javier to try it. He excluded Nam of course since he already had his spoonful just a few minutes ago.

Javier accepted the offer and took a spoonful just for a taste. Ayane on the other hand was still shy; but when the Japanese smiled, she felt assured that it really was okay and finally used her chopsticks, tasting the dish.

The Canadian skater watched Ayane amazingly using her chopsticks to eat. “Man, how do you guys use those two sticks? It’s really cool how you can eat rice with that!”

The female ignored his comment as she was currently engulfed in the amazing flavor she just tasted. There was something different about the dish, and it was delicious; making her squeal.

The three boys stared when they heard Ayane squeal in delight. She was smiling, both her hands holding her cheeks and she was rocking from side to side in happiness. Of course, Javier knew what it meant when she acted like that—she really loved what she was eating.

“Hanyu-kun, it’s really, really, really good!” She exclaimed, both her hands in a thumbs up. The chopsticks left in her mouth.

Yuzuru smiled at her cute expressions, thanking her.

The four of them continued chatting while eating, most of the time they were making fun and teasing each other about certain things, telling funny and embarrassing secrets about each other—who knows how they got into that topic; they especially loved Nam’s stories.

\---

“ _I’m home._ ”

Yuzuru announced, closing the door and taking off his shoes before proceeding to the kitchen where he would usually find his mother.

“ _Welcome home!_ ” Greeted Mrs. Hanyu by the table, preparing for dinner. Yuzuru helped to speed things up and a few minutes later, they were now sitting in front of each other thanking for the food.

“ _You sure are having fun lately. Who was the girl? She looks Japanese._ ” His mother asked, taking a spoonful of dinner right after.

“ _Hm, she’s Oshiro-san,”_ Yuzuru replied, and somehow he ended up telling stories about her; how she’s such a fun person to be with and yet a mystery, and how her food tastes amazing.

Mrs. Hanyu joked about whose cooking was better, and the Japanese ended up choosing neither, both of them finding themselves laughing.

“ _But Oshiro, I remember an Oshiro living in our neighborhood back in Sendai._ ” She added, her train of thoughts going back to their home country.

 _“Oshiro-san has never been to Japan though._ ” Yuzuru added.

“ _Nothing, it was just a thought._ ”


	5. Chapter 5

On a Saturday morning, Yuzuru Hanyu found himself moving his head from side to side, looking for Ayane who was nowhere to be found.

“Where is Oshiro-san?” He asked, a slight disappointment found in his tone of voice.

Nam, who was standing right next to him, raised an eyebrow as he was about to ask who he was trying to find, “Oh, wait… Yana?” He said once he realized that the Japanese used Ayane’s last name—completely forgetting that they’re on a last name basis.

 _I don’t get why Japanese people do that._ He thought to himself. _I think I should learn more about their culture._

The Pooh loving male nodded. “She has taekwondo practice every Saturday.” Replied the Canadian skater, taking his phone out to show Yuzuru a text message from the female.

**_“I’m gonna die tomorrow so I won’t be at the Cricket Club.” –Yana_ **

**_“What?” –Nam_ **

**_“I got a whole day training for a competition in two weeks :(” –Yana_ **

“And, I’ll also show you a video of her showing off.” He added, now scrolling to his ‘saved videos’ folder on his phone. “Don’t ask me where I got it.”

The video showed Ayane and a taller male who seems to be one of her training mates. He was holding up a kick pad while muttering something about writing a will knowing that he might die right after.

“Terrence, just because I have natural hard kicks doesn’t mean you’re gonna die.” Ayane (in the video) spat. She stood a few inches away from him, bouncing.

A few voices were heard, bidding the female good luck. As she was finally ready, she first launched a bullet kick, followed by a turning 45, and lastly a well-executed turning long which made the kick pad fly away from the male’s hand.

“That was perfect, Ayane!” A female blonde ran right up to Ayane, hugging her tight. A few more people follow crowding the female, and that’s when the video ended.

Yuzuru continued to stare at the blank phone screen, awe-struck. Nam, perplexed, had to wave his hand in front of the Japanese just to snap him back to reality. “Hey, Yuzu?”

“Y-yes?” Yuzuru finally gained his composure, glancing at his friend.

“Wanna stop by at the gym where she trains? We’ll be done by the afternoon anyways.”

“We can… Visit her?” As if his eyes started twinkling when he heard what Nam said.

“Of course we can, silly!”

\---

A few miles away from the Cricket Club was a gym where Ayane goes to during Saturdays for her taekwondo practice. And today, since there is an upcoming competition for them to prepare for, the whole students in the club were dead tired after the morning practice.

“I’m dying… I’m dying… I really think I’m dying…” Ayane whined while lying face down on the mats, completely exhausted.

A female with short blonde hair, much taller and skinnier than Ayane was lying right next her. “Who isn’t? We’ve been doing three hundred seventy seven kicks and it still wasn’t enough for coach to dismiss us. Fuck this lunch break, I wanna go home!”

The shorter female raised her head to glance over to her friend, “Same. They’re torturing us… But I really do blame it on my foot works. I’m still pretty bad at a few things.”

“Kaye, you’re pretty good. You deserve to go home.” She added, rolling closer to the blonde female called Kaye.

“I shouldn’t have joined the tournament if this was going to happen in the end!” Kaye yelled, starting a tantrum in which Ayane had to stop her from doing so because of their fellow training mates glancing up to them with a glare.

Everyone was tired, and they wanted peace and quiet for this once in a lifetime two-hour lunch break. Others had already fallen asleep, disregarding lunch due to exhaustion. But besides that, Kaye would never think of skipping a competition—she’s as competitive as Ayane and wouldn’t back down just because of intense training. Throwing tantrums is just one of her ways to release stress, the female knows that as the blonde was her best friend before even starting taekwondo.

Ayane stood up, slightly having difficulty walking due to her tired legs. “I’m gonna go drink some water.” She said and left Kaye rolling on the mats alone.

She arrived at one of the benches where everyone’s belongings were placed at, even hers. Her eyes immediately spotted her bag, and then she took her water bottle but ended up scowling once realizing that it was empty.

“Well, I’m officially gonna die from exhaustion and dehydration…” She muttered to herself, sitting at the bench.

There were a few ways to get water, but just standing up was hard for her to do, so she just gave up. Although it all changed when she saw one of her closest training mate passing by.

“Terrence!” She called out, throwing her water bottle at the male who caught it out of reflex.

He was tall with a built body, hair slicked back with gel, white (he was American), that was Terrence Harrold—one of the best players in the club. “What is it, Asian girl?”

Ayane would have lectured him about racism by now, but she was already used to it and he has been calling her that for three years. “You know I’m not the only Asian here, racist. Go refill my water bottle for me.”

Terrence flipped a few of his bangs to the side, a habit of his whenever he feels bothered about something in his face and ended up doing what the female asked him and left.

She was about to go back to Kaye, but when she suddenly heard familiar voices calling for her, she turned around and saw the Cricket brothers.

“Holy mother of—”

“Hey, Yana!” Nam was shouting the loudest while waving his two arms, earning glances from different people in the gym.

Javi was waving back casually, but Ayane was sure he was feeling awkward because of the Canadian skater, while Yuzuru was just being… Yuzuru. He was holding onto Pooh-san, using his hand to wave at the female with a smile on his face.

The female’s eyes widened like saucers, _why in heaven’s name are they in here?!_ She tried to casually walk away, but a part of her felt like it was rude so she ended up waving back while trying to _casually_ walk straight up to them without looking like she’s having difficulty.

But Yuzuru noticed her weird movements, her legs seemed like it wanted to give up. So he immediately walked up to her, catching her before she could fall. His hand held onto her waist, the other holding onto her arm for support, his head turned when he realized he lost grip of his tissue box and saw it lying on the ground.

 _Ah, I’m sorry, Pooh-san._ He mentally apologized, then helped Ayane regain her balance. The female lightly pushed him to let him know that he should stop holding her.

Deep inside, the female feels completely self-conscious about her current appearance. Her feet were dirty, as well as her training pants and shirt. Her ponytail was a mess, her face must be as well—she hasn’t looked at a mirror since practice started—basically, she was not presentable in any way.

“ _Your legs are really tired. Are you okay?_ ” He asked her, trying to omit the awkward atmosphere they created after the incident.

Ayane nodded without looking at him. “Just tired. Thanks.” She pointed to Pooh-san who was still lying on the ground. “ _Pooh-san fell. You should go get him._ ”

Yuzuru immediately turned and picked up his precious tissue box, dusting him off and whispering an apology. Javier and Nam walked up to the Japanese teasing him about how he loves Pooh so much.

“Hey, I saw your towel was Pooh the other day!” Nam blurted, chuckling. The Spanish nodded as he agreed that he also saw it.

“By the way, when’s afternoon practice, chica?” Javier asked by the time he noticed Ayane in front of them.

“In two hours. We’re dead tired.” She replied with a chuckle. “I’m honestly too tired of eating lunch too. Have you guys eaten?”

The three nodded in which the female smiled in relief. “Well, let’s go chat by the bench, I’ll also call my friend Kaye to join us. She hates being left out.”

The four of the started walking side by side. Yuzuru, who was next to the female, wrapped his arm around her just to make sure she doesn’t fall again. Javier who was on the other side did the same as well on her left arm.

“I’m okay!” _Goddammit, Hanyu-kun! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop!_ Ayane’s heart could stop racing at that very moment. She wanted everything to stop just for the feeling to go away, but she couldn’t deny the fact that she liked it and wished it wouldn’t end.

It’s not every day you get to be close to the person you really look up to. He used to be so far away, and now he’s just two centimeters away from her.

But out of all the moments he just had to stick close to her when she looks like a dirty beggar in the streets in taekwondo clothes. She wanted to push her away but she couldn’t, she just can’t.

She instructed the three males to sit by the bench close to the mats—the specific mats she and Kaye were lying on—and called out to her friend who still has not left and was still lying down, relaxing.

“Hey, Kaye! I got a few people to introduce you to.”

Kaye turned—still lying down—to face her friend Ayane, and then her eyes widened. She immediately sat up, placing her knees on the floor and resting her buttocks on top of her feet. Yuzuru immediately knew the way she was sitting,

“ _Seiza._ ” He blurted, earning the two males’ attention.

“What?”

“She is doing _seiza_. We do it many times in Japan.” Yuzuru answered.

Ayane smiled, “Ah, yes. We martial artists do _seiza_ a lot of times before and after training. Karate-do, taekwondo, aikido. Different kinds of martial arts do _seiza_.” She explained.

“Out of all the martial arts you mentioned, taekwondo was the only one that’s originated in Korea.” Kaye muttered, making Yuzuru chuckle.

She ended up crossing her legs right after since it was very tiring. She pulled Ayane close to her and whispered in her ear. “What in the world is Yuzuru Hanyu doing here?”

“Long story!” The female whispered back, her ear got pulled harshly by the blonde.

“Isn’t he like, your inspiration, your will to live, your motivation, your ultimate—”

Ayane had to scream loudly while flailing her arms to shut Kaye up and make sure nobody heard what she was whispering to her. The blonde had to suppress her laughs as she watches her friend flustered.

The female glanced over to the three boys by the bench who were looking at her in complete bemuse.

“Ah-um. Nothing.” She sheepishly smiled, teeth out, something like a little kid’s smile. Yuzuru liked the way she’d smile like that, her cheeks would tend to look chubbier than normal and he would always want to pinch them.

Kaye faked a cough to earn the four’s attention, “Anyway. I would like Aya to introduce me to these hot—” She coughed again knowing she accidentally blurted what was in her head. “—I mean, handsome young gentlemen.”

Ayane had to hide her laughs by biting her lip and giving out a weird smile. She regained her composure just a few seconds later, straightened her back and pointed her friend. “Okay, this is Kaye Heister. She’s my best friend since middle school. We also started practicing taekwondo together because she’s that nice of a friend.”

The blonde pulled off the daintiest smile she could give and waved her long fingers just so she could act like a polite demure woman. The female had to slap her back just to stop her as she always felt disgusted seeing her friend act like that.

“Geez, stop that Kaye.”

“Hey, I was trying to act like a ‘proper woman’ because apparently even male skaters can beat us when it comes to gracefulness and etiquette.” _And they’re also hot damn, why should I act like a dude in front of them?_ The blonde thought in the back of her head.

Kaye was right though. When it comes to those two traits, female martial artists like Ayane and her would lose. Majority of them learned how to act tough and fit in with the guys. They prefer sweatpants over skirts, rubber shoes (barefoot if possible) over heels, t-shirts over sleeveless tops.

“It’s also kind of really embarrassing looking like this in front of you guys.” Ayane tried to fake a laugh. “We all look like a total mess, literally.”

“Yeah. I mean look at us, we’re all dirty. Especially our feet.” Kaye added with a nod. “You guys just around the rink skating in cold ice. We practice barefooted and get dirty from time to time.”

“At least you don’t have sharp blades under your feet! We’re risking our lives with every jump we do.” Nam replied.

“Well we’re risking our whole body getting hurt and hurting someone else’s. It hurts even with the protective gear on.” The blonde counterattacked.

She and the Canadian skater continued having their debate—with no actual idea what their stand is. Yuzuru was the one who stopped them, yelling the word “ _STOP!_ ” with a Japanese accent.

“It does not matter which one is better or worse. What matters is that you love what you are doing.” He glanced over to Ayane with a face that meant: _did I speak right?_

She gave him a thumbs up, much to his delight.

“Anyway, Hanyu-kun’s right. We both risk our lives, we both don’t like a few things about our sport. But it’s because we love it that we continue pursuing it.” She added.

A smile was brought to the Japanese face. At that very moment, he could not look away from her eyes that were twinkling with motivation. She was inspiring.

Just who or what gave her the inspiration, anyway?


	6. Chapter 6

“Here’s your water bottle, Aya.” The familiar male voice caught Ayane’s attention, catching the water bottle thrown to her. She then earned a quick pinch in the cheek by him right after and then left to join his fellow male training mates eating lunch by the corner.

Kaye nudged the female’s arm, wiggling her eyebrows up and down teasingly with a smirk plastered on her face that always somehow seemed to be blushing with her natural rosy cheeks.

“Gee, Ren can never have a day without giving you a pinch in the cheek.” She said, using her usual tone that always annoyed the plump female.

A confused look was evident in the three male skaters’ face once they heard what the blonde had just said as they were completely clueless about what she meant.

A sarcastic laugh escaped from Ayane’s mouth, as she ran her fingers through her hair just to raise her bangs up to her head—a habit she does whenever she feels quite annoyed with the small chunk of hair resting on her forehead.

“Stop with your stupid assumptions, Kaye…” She said right after, clenching her fist and raising it to show her best friend how ready she was to punch her face.

“I don’t get it, Kaye?” Nam asked, who was the most intrigued out of the three.

The blonde female shook her hand, “It’s really nothing, Nam…” She said, then facing Ayane who seemed to get even more annoyed whenever their eyes meet, and when she was annoying her. “…Everybody just thinks that Terrence Harrold has a crush on Ayane.”

“You mean the ‘Ren’ you guys were talking about?” Asked the Canadian skater in which Kaye nodded.

Out of the blue while Yuzuru’s two male friends and the females were having a conversation, his hand unconsciously moved to Ayane’s cheek and pinched it. The plump female was surprised and immediately taken aback—her hand harshly shoving away his out of reflex.

He apologized right after realizing what he just did, his head bowing slightly. “But who can say no to pinching Oshiro-san’s… _Chubby cheeks?_ ”

Kaye scooted closer to Ayane and whispered a question as to why the Japanese was calling her best friend by her last name, “And what the hell is he talking about in the end?” She added.

“He’s a Japanese who has only been in Canada for a few months, of course he wouldn’t know a few English words!” Whispered the female back.

The silence consumed them, and this left Yuzuru mentally panicking. His head tried to think of the correct words to use, while his hands were doing a pinching motion. “Um, you know… Like… _Punipuni?”_

The four ended up tilting in confusion while Ayane’s eyebrows as she was the most curious and confused. The Japanese proceeded in moving his hands in a pinching motion while saying, “ _Punipuni_ … Something very soft? Um, that I want to pinch it?”

The female placed a finger on her chin, tapping while she squinted her eyes as she looks up trying to think about what Yuzuru was talking about. It didn’t take long for her to snap her fingers in delight.

“You mean ‘squishy’?”

Yuzuru was next to tilt his head, “… I think so?” He replied, a finger on his chin as well.

Inside the Pooh-loving male’s head, he repeated the words ‘squishy’ and _‘punipuni’_ as he thinks hard if it really was the right word.

Javier ended up laughing, followed by Name and Kaye who found the two people of Japanese descent funny. “These two can’t spend a day speaking and not understanding each other in the end!” The Canadian skater blurted, hugging his stomach.

Ayane made a statement that they _sometimes_ understand each other, just not _all the time_. But her blonde best friend cut her off in the middle of her statement and said: “I’d love to hear Yuzuru and Ayane talk for a good one hour and see if one of them ends up dizzy or something. I call dibs on Ayane.”

 

“Fun fact!” Kaye added, raising a finger as if she just remembered something. “She can’t finish one episode of a Japanese show because her brain can’t take in all of the Japanese words she is hearing.”

She earned a hard slap on the arm from a tomato-faced Ayane, “Stop embarrassing me in front of Hanyu-kun!” Her best friend whispered, gray eyes then glancing over to the Japanese who was trying to suppress his laughs after hearing what she said.

Ayane sighed and lied down on Kaye’s lap, “Why don’t we stop talking about me and talk about someone else; like Javi, Hanyu-kun, Nam…”

Kaye shoved the female’s head away from her lap, “Yeah how about Yuzuru, then? I’m sure Ayane knows a loooot—”

Ayane had to, once again, yell and flail her arms just to cut what her best friend was about to spill out. They may be really close friends, but Kaye just can’t stop teasing the plump female knowing she can’t fight back besides being violent.

“Okay, okay. Let’s all just stop and change the topic before Ayane bursts.” Javier suggested, hiding his chuckles as he found his female friend’s face funny while she was flailing her arms like a penguin who wanted to try flying.

“Alright, let’s all stop the chit chat and start afternoon training kids.”

The low familiar voice made the two females flinch in horror as their heads turned in sync to where the voice came from. In the middle of the mats stood a man in his mid-thirties wearing a taekwondo uniform. He was the head instructor of the club, Andrew Harrold, Terrence’s father.

“Oh shi—” Ayane cut herself off once she realized that Yuzuru was with her. She didn’t want to add a horrible curse word in the Japanese’s developing vocabulary. “—I haven’t eaten lunch yet.”

Kaye patted her best friend’s back with a sigh and said: “Rest in peace, Ayane Oshiro.”

The three skaters were told to sit on a vacant bench if they want to watch the training since their club was open for spectators. “It’s kind of a promotion thing for people to join our club, or something.” Ayane added with a shrug before chasing after her best friend.

They bid the female good luck in which she raised her hand to gesture that she heard them.

\---

Yuzuru ended up wearing a mask to make sure his asthma doesn’t trigger from all the dust and dirt. But aside from that he was fascinated from watching a very uncommon sport for him, since it was really his first time actually seeing a taekwondo training up close and personal.

“The Terrence guy really is good, according to Kaye.” Javier mentioned as he watches the male kick the kick pad that emitted such loud noises which meant that he was hitting accurate and hard kicks.

“Hey, ignore that dude and watch Yanna or Kaye.” Nam said, pointing the two girls kicking their own kick pads held by fellow training mates. “Yanna’s really chubby but look at her go! This is actually my first time seeing her train in person.”

It made Yuzuru smile as he watches the plump female catch her breath while kicking non-stop. There was a small smile evident on her mouth while she silently counts the kicks she had been doing, those kind of smiles show genuine love for a person’s sport.

“Hey Yuzu,” The Japanese snapped back to reality, glancing over to his Spanish friend. “You seem to be staring too much at Ayane.”

The Pooh-loving male looked down and shook his head. Nam nudged his upper arm as he teases him that he might have a developing crush on the plump female.

“No way!” Yuzuru exclaimed.

“Hm, whatever.” The Canadian skater propped his hands on his face as he sighs. “Man, my competition’s on August. I’m gonna train extra when Monday starts. I wonder if Yana’s gonna go watch.”

Yuzuru glanced up to his friend, “She watches competitions?”

Javier nodded, “There are chances she flies in different countries to watch figure skating competitions. But if she can’t, she usually watches livestreams online.”

“Yeah, she’s really updated when it comes to her favorite skater…s.” Nam wanted to mentally slap himself as he regretted what he just said. _I should not have said that…_

“Like who?” The Japanese asked, perplexed and curious.

The Spanish skater gave Nam a good glare for a few seconds before glancing back to Yuzuru with a soft smile, “Like… Us! We are her friends so we are most probably her favorites.”

The Canadian nodded continuously and vigorously in complete panic, “Yeah! Yeah! I have to update her sometimes if my turn was close since she leaves the livestream open while doing chores or homeworks!”

Javier nodded as he mentioned the same scenario, although in his case it was a different competition.

A smile escaped from Yuzuru’s face as he admired how Ayane would go through all lengths just to be able to watch her friends perform.

 _God, you don’t know how much she fangirls on the phone whenever you were performing on ice though, Yuzu…_ Nam mentally said with a sigh.

“I bet she’ll watch Finlandia for sure. Both of you guys are competing, right?” Javier and Yuzuru nodded.

When the Canadian’s phone vibrated, he took it out of his pocket and gasped once he realized that it was a text from his mother. He stood up and bid goodbye to the two as he needed to run a few errands his mother gave him out of the blue.

It was just then when the head instructor Andrew announced a five minute water break for his students and made every taekwondo player run back to and rummage through their belongings just to get a drink from their water bottles as quick as possible as five minutes pass by like a minute for them.

Terrence was seen walking up to Ayane and having a talk with her, in which Yuzuru did not enjoy watching for some reason. It was then when the female suddenly screamed bloody murder as she realized that her water bottle was empty. As if an empty water bottle was just the end of her.

Which is actually is since she is tired and hungry.

“Do you want to drink mine?” Terrence offered his water bottle to the female in which she happily accepted, dramatically crying as she thanks the male over and over again. He was only able to scratch the back of his neck and smile.

“Mmm, I’ll probably collapse in a few minutes or so due to starvation, but I’m okay.” Added Ayane who seemed to not mind about her current situation.

The remaining time of training continued, and by the time clock struck 5 was coach announced that practice was dismissed. The only skater left on the bench was Yuzuru since Javier had to run off to buy ingredients for his dinner all of a sudden once he remembered he didn’t have any just a few hours ago.

Ayane found herself standing in front of the Japanese who was aimlessly staring on the ground as if he has lost track of time after getting bored from watching a 4-hour taekwondo practice.

“So, you alone too?” She asked the pooh-loving male which made him raise his head to look at her.

“Javi left to buy dinner.” He answered, hands still propped on his face in boredom. “How about Kaye-san?”

“Her mom made her run back home in the speed of light.” The plump female chuckled slightly.

The two paused for a while once they both heard someone’s stomach rumbling loudly. Ayane held onto her stomach with her cheeks tinted red. “Uh, sorry… I skipped lunch remember?”

Yuzuru grinned and stood up, “Do you have dinner at home?”

The female shook her head, then sighing once realizing she still had to cook just to be able to eat.

“ _Mom has dinner ready by this time, want to stop by at our house? You look pale, are you sure you’re okay?”_ He asked, tucking a few stray strands of her hair just to get a good look at her face.

 _Thump… Thump… Thump_ goes her heart. She lightly shoved Yuzuru’s hand away, her eyes lowered, looking at the floor as she tries to avoid the Japanese’s gaze.

“ _Oshiro-san?”_

She looked up and for a few seconds, their eyes locked. Yuzuru was once again somehow enticed by her gray eyes.

“ _Do you… want to eat dinner with us?_ ”

In the end, they found themselves walking together outside in the cold night.


	7. Chapter 7

From Ayane’s club to her house, walking takes her ten minutes to arrive. But this time, they were walking to Yuzuru’s since they couldn’t take a ride due to the Japanese’s problem: he forgot to bring extra money.

“ _I’m sorry. I know you’re really tired and yet we’re walking…_ ” He apologized. His eyes glancing over to her from time to time as he couldn’t stop ignoring the bruises he could see on her arms, also thinking that there might be more on her legs as well.

“No, it’s okay. I’ll leave as soon as possible after dinner.” Ayane replied, shaking her two hands.

Then she realized, it is dark out with only the moon, the stars, and a few streetlights to light the way. There aren’t much people outside as well, how can she just casually walk home alone?

_Great._

She found her hand gripping onto Yuzuru’s shirt sleeve. The Japanese looked back at her by surprise; he could actually feel how her hand was shaking from the fear she was trying to hide from him.

“ _I’m sorry_ … Let me hold onto you just until we arrive at your house…” The female muttered, trying not to look up to him.

But instead of letting her hold onto him, he took her hand which made the both of them stop their tracks. The surprised Ayane had her eyes widened in shock as she slowly began to fluster, feeling her cheeks heat up as time passes.

The Japanese was smiling as he tightly held her hand as if to let her know that there was nothing to be scared about. Somehow, she stopped shaking and all she could feel was his warmth that reassured her that she was safe.

“ _It’s okay, Oshiro-san. You’ll be okay. I promise._ ”

The female completely understood him, since her father had always told her similar words to comfort her when she was younger. She nodded with a small smile as she silently wishes that this would go on forever.

“Your hands are soft like your cheeks.” He muttered with a smile as his eyes were looking straightforward to where they were heading while his hand was lightly squishing the female’s.

“Your hands are bigger than mine.” Ayane replied; a chuckle escaping from the two of them right after.

As the silence completely surrounded them, the plump female looked up and somehow ended up feeling nostalgic as she saw the beautiful night sky. A longing smile was evident on her face, and Yuzuru noticed it.

“I hate the dark and being alone in a certain place. I hate it when it’s completely silent.” She blurted all of a sudden, taking a deep breath.

“I hated it… Because it was a night like this when my sister passed away.”

At this very moment, Yuzuru didn’t know what to say—be it in English or in Japanese. He has never been good at talking about sensitive topics and comforting people. Did Ayane want to talk about it, or did she just blurt it out all of a sudden because it suddenly reminded her.

And yet the Japanese ended up asking, “Do you… Want to talk about it?”

Ayane glanced up to him with a smile and started holding his hand back tightly. “I… Kinda do.”

And thus their walk in the night ended up being a conversation about a traumatizing past in the female’s life.

She took a deep breath while slowly bits and pieces of the past fill her mind. “ _I’m not saying my parents hate me, but they just really liked my older twin sister more._ She was better than me, and has what they expected from us. She was smart and aimed to be either an engineer or a doctor, _while I just really wanted to be an athlete… I loved skating._ ”

Ayane’s thoughts flashed back through the days where her sister was still with her. The good times, the bad times, her mind replayed them all and her eyes couldn’t help but form tears in which she refused to fall.

“Her name was Akane. At first she thought some other sport would fit my body structure since I gain weight easily and was naturally strong. But when I told her I really loved being on the ice, she was the most supportive person in the family.” Ayane started.

_When 11-year-old Ayane was qualified for an international competition, the person who accompanied her was Akane and one of their caretakers. In all honesty, their parents were never really supportive of the female’s decision to skate as they never gave any time to even watch her personally. It has always been like this._

Her eyes couldn’t meet Yuzuru’s while she was narrating her story. Her gray orbs stayed fixated on the ground as they slowly walk, while the Japanese was completely fixated on her with eyes filled with concern.

“Akane has late night tutor sessions, so I’m alone at the room with nothing to do and no one to talk to. During those times, I go to Uncle Brian to loosen up and practice skating because truth to be told, I wasn’t talented enough to learn quickly. My triples only have 75% of succession.”

_“Ayane, make sure you don’t leave the room and distract Akane and her tutor.” Her mother would always remind her before leaving the twins’ room._

_She would tend to nod and stay inside as she was told. But sometimes she’d sneak out and go to Brian’s house and to the Cricket Club just to teach her extra lessons. Those very lessons were what helped Ayane improve her jumps._

_While Akane was a genius, she was athletic. They were fraternal twins whose hobbies and interests clash, but they love and support each other through anything._

“ _People… The audience didn’t like me for some reason._ ” The female added. “They said I wasn’t fit to be a figure skater. I wasn’t elegant and all that stuff and yet why was I able to get to the podium? They’d compare me to other skaters that I’ve competed with and were said to be better than me”

“But Akane, _she comforted me every time I wanted to give up._ ”

Yuzuru held onto Ayane’s hand tighter as he watches her tears fall from her eyes. He wanted to say or do something to comfort her, but she wasn’t finished with her story so he just continued listening.

_During the times when Ayane was crying herself to sleep, Akane would move to her bed and hug her without saying anything. Actions speak louder than words, and her older twin’s warmth was just enough to comfort her through the night; and as usual, they’d talk about it the next day when the ,younger twin would feel better._

_“They’re not professionals to judge you like that, Ayane.” The older twin said, holding onto Ayane’s hand. “If the world is against you, remember that I’ll always be here for you. Okay?”_

_Akane gave out a smile to her and handed her a picture of what seems to be Yuzuru Hanyu. “And if I’m not enough, here’s a picture of your favorite skater!”_

_Small chuckles escaped from Ayane’s mouth as she accepted her older twin’s simple gift. “You sure know how to cheer me up, huh?”_

_“Hey, I’ve also watched him skate so I know he’s really good! I really hope you get to personally meet him one day,” The older twin added, pinching her sister’s chubby cheek. “Make sure to keep that photo of him so that whenever I’m not around, just look at him.”_

Ayane could still remember the comforting words her sister would tell her at times when she was sad. “ _Everything went downhill when my sister was suddenly brought to the hospital._ She had congenital heart disease when she was born.”

_She thought that when Akane came back from the hospital three days after everything was going to be okay now. But just a week later, she had collapsed and was immediately sent to the hospital again on that stormy night, leaving Ayane alone in the house._

_“We’ll be back, Ayane. Stay right here and don’t go outside.” Takeru Oshiro told her before rushing out of the house with the car keys in hand._

_Ayane stayed sitting on the corner of her bedroom hugging her knees. She listened to the loud pitter patter of the rain, followed by loud rumblings of thunder mixed with surprising lightning. And then she heard her family’s familiar car engine starting and fading away quickly as her father along with her mother drive Akane to the hospital in immense speed._

_During that very night, the electricity went off, and she spent crying in the dark alone, hearing nothing but the storm outside and the only source of light was the lightning strikes._

_The following day was the worst. Her eyes were red from crying herself to sleep, she stood up once she heard the telephone ring. It was her mother._

_“Ayane dear, how are you doing?” From the other line, she heard Emile, her mother, suppressing her cries. Ayane was not able to reply as she felt a horrible feeling from the call._

_“It’s Akane. She’s… Not here anymore.”_

 “I kept up with figure skating because I loved it. Even if the audience wasn’t in my favor—that no matter how perfect I perform, they wouldn’t like me no matter what. I kept it up for 2 years without Akane’s comfort…”

“…Until I’ve had enough of everything.”

Ayane wiped her tears and glanced over to Yuzuru with a smile on her face—but the Japanese knew that she was giving out a fake smile to him. “ _I suck, right?_ ”

He shook his head intensely, then he curved his mouth into a reassuring smile. “ _I think you’re strong._ ” He said, his other hand wiping the tears that were falling from the female’s eyes, and then tucking a few stray strands of her hair behind her ear.

Ayane lightly shoved the male’s hand away and asked, “ _Hanyu-kun…_ Do you think Akane’s angry because I stopped figure skating?”

Yuzuru shook his head, “ _I think she’s happy. She’d support you with anything and everything, right? You learned how to find happiness without her_ which is a good enough reason.” He patted her head, then pinching her cheek in which he seems to be very fond of doing recently.

Ayane didn’t mind this, she was used to Terrence’s cheek pinches, so why not Yuzuru’s as well? She finally curved her mouth into a real smile and nodded. “The reason why my parents introduced me to taekwondo was because Akane suggested me to try it back then.”

_Akane opened the door and skipped her way to the dining room where her family was in. Emily was getting food ready, while Takeru was on table with Ayane reading a newspaper._

_“Why don’t you also try taekwondo, Ayane?” She straightforwardly asked her younger twin immediately by the time she sat right next to her. “I caught a glimpse of our school’s taekwondo club practice today and they were so cool!”_

_Her arms were flailing and she kept chattering on and on about the sport while her eyes were gleaming in amazement. “There were different kinds of people. Short, tall, fat, slim, anybody can join! You won’t need to cut down on eating since you don’t really need a slim figure there. I’m sure you’d really love it.”_

_“But I’ve already started skating, Akane.” Ayane replied, head tilting._

_“Hmm, yeah…” The older twin trailed off as her cheeriness disappeared. “Well, I wouldn’t really mind whatever you pick. I’ll support you either way!”_

Once again, silence surrounded them and their own footsteps were the only things they could hear. Right after Ayane’s story, none of them could say another word, especially Yuzuru. But he was happy that she was able to open up to him; he may not know why she did, but that made him know much more about her.

“Are we friends?”

Ayane glanced over to the pooh-loving male confusingly, “Are we not?” She asked.

Relieved Yuzuru sheepishly scratched the back of his neck with an awkward smile, “Well, can I call you Ayane, then?”

Her heart stop beating for a second she heard him—the sound of her name with Yuzuru’s voice, she loved it. “Yuzuru, then?”

“Yeah.”

It didn’t take long for them to arrive in the Japanese’s house right after that.


	8. Chapter 8

“ _After taking the right path of the intersection, we’ll get there._ ” Yuzuru said as he pointed the upcoming intersection on their way. He was still holding Ayane’s hand, both of them seemed to forget about it.

The female was familiar about the intersection; only because her house was located on the same path the male pointed at. “The first house we see?” She asked and he nodded.

“Oh, so that was your house.” She tilted her head then glanced over to him with a smile. “Hi, neighbor.”

“ _You live close?”_ The surprised Yuzuru asked with eyes slightly widened.

The female nodded, “We live four houses away.”

They quickly arrived a minute later after that and they were welcomed by his mother who happily greeted them after opening the door. Although she was shocked at first seeing her son bring home a girl, she welcomed Ayane in with a smile once she realized that the female was the same person she saw back at the Cricket Club.

“ _I’m home!”_ Yuzuru greeted cheerfully while removing his shoes and placing it to the shoe rack before continuing his way to the kitchen.

Ayane shyly walked inside in small footsteps, leaving her own shoes right next to the male’s before following him. The sight of the house made her feel amazed as it was very organized and clean; she felt guilty for looking like a total rag because of practice.

“ _Sorry for intruding…_ ” She muttered in a whisper way since she can never ever feel comfortable at someone else’s house.

Her eyes widened by surprise as she found Mrs. Hanyu walking up to her with a smile. Her hands fidgeted and slightly bowed as she didn’t know what to do when the older was inching closer to her.

“ _I-I’m sorry! My feet are slightly dirty from practice…_ ” Her voice remained soft, being a shy-type of person with nobody to back her up.

Mrs. Hanyu shook her hand and said, “ _No worries, I heard from Yuzu that you train taekwondo._ ” Before she excused herself to the kitchen as she starts preparing food quickly.

 “ _Yuzuru, you should’ve told me you were bringing someone home. I didn’t have any time to fix the house.”_ She added while heating the leftover food from lunch, apologizing to Ayane since that was the only food she could cook as of the moment. “ _We plan on buying groceries tomorrow so this is all we have for tonight._ ”

The female honestly wasn’t able to understand a few words the woman just said, but she ended up nodding with a smile on her face—although Yuzuru was able to guess that she was confused with the face she made, making him chuckle.

He patted the vacant seat right next to him, inviting her to sit. By the time Ayane sat, she earned a cheek pinch from him, muttering something in Japanese about how squishy her cheeks were—in which the female did not understand at all, since she was not familiar with a few Japanese words anyway.

 “I feel so embarrassed dirtying the floor with my feet.” She whispered to the male while rubbing her two feet.

Yuzuru chuckled, poking her cheek—but seriously, what is it with Ayane and her chubby cheeks? “ _It’s okay, don’t worry!_ ”

Mrs. Hanyu then arrived later on and carefully placed the food on the table. Ayane felt her stomach growl loudly—thank God nobody heard it but her—as she saw and smelled the delicious food now placed in front of her.

She tried to contain her excitement, as somehow delicious food seem to always make her feel cheerful. “ _It looks very delicious!_ ” But unfortunately, she couldn’t suppress her gleeful tone when she said that.

Yuzuru smiled and said, “ _Of course, because my mom cooked it!_ ”

A chuckle escaped from his mother as she tells them to start eating. They all clasped their hands together and chanted “ _Itadakimasu!_ ” then bowing slightly before taking their chopsticks to dig in.

Yuzuru was surprised that even though Ayane grew up in Canada, she knew the common Japanese dining etiquette which was the phrase _itadakimasu_.

“ _It’s surprising how you know Japanese dining etiquette._ ” He said.

Unsure about what to say and adding her shyness, Ayane was only able to smile and take small portions of food. The male noticed this and placed larger portions of rice on her plate, surprising her.

“W-wait, Yuzuru. What are you doing?”

The male glanced up to her perplexed and answered, “ _You don’t have to be shy, Ayane. Eat as much as you can!_ ”

Mrs. Hanyu nodded to her son’s statement and encouraged the female as well. “ _We also have desserts! Yuzuru was craving for something sweet the other day so we bought ice cream during grocery shopping._ ”

The only words Ayane was able to translate from what the older woman said was something about: _Yuzuru craving for something sweet so they bought ice cream… Something like that._ She thought.

 _What does shokuryou-something…? I couldn’t follow what she was saying. Kaimono? What?_ Her thoughts wandered on what Mrs. Hanyu recently said, replaying each word she was able to understand from her—but she gave up after she couldn’t remember the latter part.

Eventually, the conversation ended up with Yuzuru and his mother talking in complete Japanese, and since Ayane was not able to follow, it made her silently eat her food without glancing up to the two who were laughing about something, and hearing Javi’s name… And something about slipping at the ice rink back at Cricket Club.

_What in heaven’s name are they talking about?_

She also heard Nam’s name in which Yuzuru laughed the loudest. Something about water and nose… Did Javier made another lame joke and Nam laughed at it to the point that water came out of his nose? There were times that it happened and the female have witnessed it a lot of times, she’d know. But anyway, she wasn’t able to completely understand it so she set it aside and finished her food.

“ _Gochisosama deshita._ ” She said and then brought the plate and utensils she used to the sink.

It wasn’t long before Yuzuru and Mrs. Hanyu were finished with theirs as well. The female was about to leave when she was stopped by the male and his mother asking her if she would want desserts before going home.

Ayane shook her head, but she was immediately handed a cup of ice cream by Yuzuru. He took her wrist and said that he wanted to show her something, then pulling her to his room.

Question marks and exclamation points invaded the female’s mind as she couldn’t explain what she was feeling as of the moment. Yuzuru bringing her to his room, what did he want to show her?

He opened the door and there Ayane’s eyes widened in amazement at how yellow and red the male’s room was. There were shelves full of Pooh stuffed toys, his bed was also Pooh-themed as the blanket was red, pillows were yellow (and some had a mix of yellow and red), and on his study table were cute little Pooh statues. She also found the infamous Pooh tissue box there in which she patted its head.

“I… More things in Sendai. At my room there.” The male said, his usual broken and accented English.

The female nodded as she admired each and every Pooh merchandise, walking around his small room. “So this is what you wanted to show me? _Your obsession for Winnie the Pooh?_ ” She chuckled. “ _Is your bed sheet Pooh-san as well?_ ”

The Japanese chuckled and nodded, “ _Back at Sendai, though. My mom didn’t want me to bring everything here._ ”

“ _I just wanted to show you this in exchange for opening up to me back when we were walking._ ” He added. Although Ayane wasn’t able to fully understand him, there were a few context clues and she was able to guess what he meant.

“It wasn’t a big deal. You didn’t need to do this.” She replied, sitting at the edge of his bed.

“ _I just wanted to share a few stuff._ ”

The female thanked her and they ended up sitting right next to each other at his bed while chatting and finishing their ice creams. Their topics were mostly about the Cricket Club and their favorites. Although Ayane knew a few things Yuzuru mentioned, she pretended she didn’t and acted surprised that he was.

“I should go home now, Yuzuru.” She blurted after a long chat with him, finding themselves lying on his bed.

Yuzuru sat up and said, “ _I should take you home, then._ ”

_Good Lord, my crush is going to walk me home._

\---

By the time they both reached Ayane’s house, she turned to Yuzuru and bowed. “Thanks a lot for the dinner and for walking me home. I really loved your mother’s cooking and I hope I get to eat more of it.”

The Japanese chuckled and told her that she’d be welcome any time at their house. There was a minute of awkward silence before he could ask something out of the topic.

“ _You have school on Monday, right?_ ”

“Yeah.” The thought made Ayane frown, but she didn’t let Yuzuru see it. “I guess I won’t be seeing you, Javi and Nam at the Cricket Club.”

 “I’ll see you when I see you, okay? _Good night, Yuzuru._ ”

The male nodded, smiling, “ _Good night, Ayane._ ”

By the time she went inside closing the door, her feet shuffled to the window right next to it, slightly opening the curtains to take a peek at Yuzuru who was making his way back home. A smile escaped as she leans her back on the wall, hiding the giggles she was making as tonight was one of the best nights ever.

She immediately shoved her hand inside her bag to get her phone, then dialing Nam. It only took three rings for the Canadian skater to answer her call.

The sound of a groggy Nam Nguyen greeted her, “You do know that it’s 11 and I’m really tired from practice…”

As if Ayane completely ignored the male’s case, she started rambling on and on about what happened right after her taekwondo practice—how she and Yuzuru walked to his house together, spent dinner with him and his mother (and how delicious her cooking was), saw his Pooh-themed bedroom, and walking her home, and many more in complete detail. There were a few giggles and some squeals in between her sentences as well.

“Well, congratulations.” Nam yawned. “Now can I get some sleep?”

Ayane hummed as she was thinking of what to say, “But you don’t have practice tomorrow, right?”

“But I’m tired?” The Canadian skater replied, emphasizing how he really wanted to sleep.

“But there’s no practice tomorrow.” The female repeated, cries of frustration was heard on the other line.

“JUST LET ME SLEEP PLEASE?” He begged, but he only received chuckles from the female.

“Oh yeah, we’re also on first name basis now…” And there she goes rambling again. She heard a loud sigh on the other line but she ignored it by continuously talking.

Nam ended up smiling as he was happy that Ayane was FINALLY able to become close to Yuzuru. He uttered a congratulations and ended up yawning once again right after.

“I guess you really need sleep. Good night, Nam. Thanks for listening.”

A sigh escaped from the female’s lips as she remembered her parents were still not home and that she’ll be leaving the lights and TV on overnight once again. The male noticed this and offered to talk to her until she falls asleep, in which she refused.

“I still have things to do so I’ll leave the lights and TV on as usual.” She replied.

Nam was still skeptical but he ended up nodding and bidding her a good night, thus ending the call. Ayane made her way to her bedroom, playing music on her phone—specifically ONE OK ROCK’s album Niche Syndrome played in shuffle—as she does so. She collapsed on her bed after taking the book that was placed on her study table and then turning to the page where she last read it. It was a Japanese book containing lessons about the Japanese language.

Yuzuru on the other hand was still wide awake reading a Japanese-English dictionary in his room.

The two of them somehow found themselves thinking of each other as they read their own book at their own bedrooms.

\---

Ayane woke up at 5 AM the very next day when she heard her alarm clock ringing. This made her remember that she forgot to turn it off last night, thus regretting it. And because she couldn’t go back to sleep anymore, she ended up leaving her bed—unfixed, as usual—and throwing the trash bag resting right next to the trash bin in the kitchen outside.

As she was about to leave it at the trash can in their front yard, she heard a familiar voice greet her a good morning—in Japanese.

_Oh shit._

Yuzuru, who was coincidentally jogging around the neighborhood as a morning exercise, waved his two hands at the female who seemed to freeze right there on her spot by the time she heard him.

She didn’t know if she was happy or not that they were actually neighbors, but of all the days they have to see each other again, it just had to be morning and that her hair was in a horrible bedhead.


	9. Chapter 9

“Y-yeah, _good morning to you too.”_ Ayane whispered, ducking behind the trash bag she just placed down.

A chuckle escaped from Yuzuru as he walks closer to the female who was wishing he would just go away. “ _That’s one unique bedhead, Ayane._ ”

Her face heated as she glanced up to see him now closer in front of her. As an effort to look presentable, she tried to fix her horrible bedhead—which wasn’t working unfortunately. She stood up, rushed back to her house and closed the door shut.

Quickly, she found her mother’s comb lying on the living room table. She took it and went to the window to check on Yuzuru who she expected to have left by now—but he didn’t. He was still outside the front door waiting for her to come out.

And since it was rude of her to slam the door shut in front of him, she opened the door slightly ajar and showed half of her face, “ _W-what do you want?_ ”

The Japanese flinched slightly as he didn’t notice the door opening until he heard Ayane’s voice. He started fumbling with the zipper on his jacket and said, “ _I just wanted to ask a favor._ ”

The female tilted her head as if she was waiting for him to say what it was, she was also combing her hair which wasn’t helping as well.

“Can… You… Teach me English?” Yuzuru paused in between just to make sure he was saying his statement in correct grammar. Ayane was able to smile as she nodded that he said it right.

“But I suck at explaining it in Japanese.” She replied.

“Eh, you are only… Someone I know?”

The plump female corrected him and tried as much as possible to decline his favor. But the Japanese kept giving out pleading eyes that she couldn’t resist to, and in the end, she accepted the offer with a sigh.

“Fine, fine. When are you free?” She asked.

“ _After practice. Around lunchtime._ ”

“Hm? You have practice in Sundays?”

Yuzuru explained that he asked Brian for a short extra practice during Sunday morning. “Hmmm, okay. 2 PM here at my house, _I’ll teach you how to speak English._ ”

A smile was brought to the male’s face and bowed thanking the plump female. He then made his way to the Cricket club, running while waving his hands at her. It was going to be troublesome for Ayane though, as she was never a good teacher especially when she just naturally grew up speaking the language. It wasn’t even that easy to explain in English, what more if in Japanese?

_I am so screwed._

\---

Exactly right after Ayane just finished washing the remaining dishes on the sink, she heard a faint knock on her door. Immediately she ran and opened it to reveal Yuzuru wearing casual clothes. Just simple denim pants, a yellow and red colored t-shirt that reminds the female of Pooh, and black rubber shoes.

“Hi,” He uttered, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish smile. Ayane uttered the same greeting as the awkward aura surrounds them. “Was I late?”

She shook her head with a small smile, “Nope. You’re just in time, I just finished washing the dishes and it’s only 2:30.”

_30 minutes late, but whatever._

And so, she escorted the Japanese to the living room where a small table was placed. But what mostly caught his eyes were the two big shelves full of novels. The female explained something about how she was a real bibliophile and that she loves books so much that she couldn’t leave a bookstore without buying even just one book.

She took out a book and placed it on the table. Yuzuru squinted his eyes in curiosity as he wasn’t familiar with what was written. “Percy Jackson— _that’s a name right?_ ” Ayane nodded. “And… The… Olym… Uh…” He glanced up to her who was trying to hide her chuckles.

“Olympians.” Corrected Ayane.

The male curved his mouth into an ‘O’ with a nod. He opened the book and skimmed through the pages while his left hand propped on his cheek, his eyebrows were then both raised as he started reading a random page. He was able to read what was written, but he couldn’t understand much what a few words meant.

“ _Ayane…_ ” He called with a troubled tone as he was very curious of what the book was all about but could not understand what was happening.

The female giggled and took the book, closing it and showing him the cover. She started explaining what the book was all about, why she chose it and: “You were in the last page, how can you understand when you just read the last part of the book.”

He stuck his tongue out feeling slightly stupid. He was so used to books that start from right to left. His hands were about to take the book again from Ayane’s grip, but she wouldn’t let him in which she received a pout.

“I guess I have to start from basics and the easiest method,” She sighed then stood up to rummage around a cabinet right next to one of the big shelves.

She exclaimed in happiness once she found a medium-sized box then walking back to the table sitting right next to Yuzuru. “Okay, flashcards. There are only English words written though so I’ll cover the lower part so you can guess what these are in English.” She explained and took out one random card, covering the lower part.

“ _Kagami._ ”

“ENGLISH!” Ayane reminded him in which Yuzuru laughed and apologized.

“Hmmm… Mirror?” He guessed with eyes squinted. The female nodded with a smile then placed it on the lid to separate the cards she had already taken then took another one from the box. Whenever the male gets it right, she nods and proceeds to take another one—but when he gets it wrong, she gives him three tries before answering the correct word… Unless he gives up and asks her.

So far, Yuzuru was doing well, out of the 15 cards Ayane has shown him, he got 10 right. She took another card and it showed a television.

“ _Terebi?_ ” The female shook her head. “ _Er_ … _It’s around there right?_ ”

“Well yeah…” Yuzuru was sure he has heard the English word of it before but he couldn’t remember. A minute later he gave up and Ayane answered him, then he tried to pronounce the word but due to his accent, the female ended up laughing.

They slowly pronounced the word, syllable by syllable. But when Yuzuru pronounced it again in one go, he failed. Japanese people only have the ‘r’ sound which was also what they use for ‘l’, so that explains the male’s struggle.

“Can you pronounce ‘really’ for me?” The plump female tries to hide her laughs as she asks the male.

Once Yuzuru pronounced the word, Ayane burst out laughing. It was cute and funny as he pronounced the ‘l’ part with ‘r’. This made the Japanese pout and turn his back from the female who was still laughing her heart out.

Once she started calling out to him, she was ignored. She started apologizing and tried tapping his shoulders in hopes that he’d look back but he unfortunately wasn’t. Realizing this, Ayane started shaking Yuzuru as she apologized countless times but he still wouldn’t budge.

“Yuzuru, oh my God. I am so sorry, I didn’t realize I was going too far… Hey…”

To think that Ayane could actually piss her crush off. She’d promise herself to look as nice as ever to him but it seems like she can’t hide how she can tease people too far sometimes. She stood up and faced the male and bowed in a 45 degree angle, apologizing once again.

She felt a pat on her head making her glance up to see a smiling Yuzuru. “ _Let’s continue the lessons, shall we?_ ”

Ayane nodded then went back to her seat, now deciding to read Percy Jackson together with the male. “You read. Tell me when you can’t understand a word, _I’ll explain it as much as I can._ ”

And so he shifted closer to her to get a good view of the book, turning from the very first page as he starts reading the very first sentences. Slowly but surely he read it correctly; he would look up at Ayane from time to time and she would answer his questions or pronounce the words that were unfamiliar to him correctly.

“ _Hey Yuzuru, I’m sorry for being bad at teaching._ ” She said out of the blue while Yuzuru was finally at the third page.

“ _That’s not true._ You are doing great, Ayane.”

Some words that Ayane could not explain were either checked in an English-Japanese dictionary or Google translate… But mostly the dictionary, of course. And sometime after, she got a few lessons from Yuzuru regarding Japanese and writing hiragana.

\---

After three hours of English (and Japanese) lessons—which were mostly having fun and making jokes—Yuzuru and Ayane both felt their stomachs rumble. The plump female decided on cooking a snack for them, in which the Japanese offered to help.

What a disaster.

“ _Crack the eggs and put them in the bowl here.”_ Ayane placed an empty bowl in front of Yuzuru who nodded.

He proceeded with taking a random egg from the carton beside him and strongly cracked it at the tip of the bowl—which became a mess since the whole egg cracked and the yolk was now around his hands. He glanced over to the female who looked at him blankly.

“Yuzu… Um…” She could not believe that he didn’t even know how to simply crack an egg carefully. “You’re an elegant figure skater, how can you not CAREFULLY crack an egg?”

“I don’t cook.”

“Obviously.”

“ _I was trying to help._ ”

She asked him to cut carrots for toppings, in which she observed him do so, but ended up shrieking as he almost—ALMOST—cut his finger in the middle of chopping. “No, no, no, no.” She uttered, taking the knife away from the Japanese.

The whole duration of cooking food became a cooking class for Yuzuru. He seemed to have enjoyed it to the point that he couldn’t stop babbling about the disaster that the kitchen have become after failed attempts of cracking eggs—Yuzuru’s hands were yolky, flour everywhere on the floor—you don’t know how much Ayane sneezed, and a whip cream fight.

“So, I have to go take a bath later tonight after this…” The female muttered as she wiped away the whip cream that stuck on her hair. Yuzuru’s fault.

“ _My mom’s gonna kill me if I come home like this._ ” The Japanese took the towel Ayane just used and wiped his hair as well. “I smell cream…”

“That’s you, dummy!”

“Hmmm… _I smell delicious._ ”

Their eyes seemed to lock for a moment before Ayane averted her gaze. They were both smiling, trying to hide their chuckles and whatnot. The carrot cake that they made was placed on the table untouched, until the female shoved icing on the Japanese’s cheek.

“ _B-but we just finished cleaning ourselves!_ ” Yuzuru whined while laughing and wiping the icing with his finger.

“ _Too bad I still haven’t gotten revenge…_ From spraying whip cream on my face!”

And now they were on an icing fight. They took a few from the cake and shoved it on each other until they had enough. It took the two of them around three minutes to give up as the cake had lost its icing and whip cream decorations.

Ayane finally decided on eating the cake, slicing it into five slices. The two slices were for her parents, and the other one was for Yuzuru’s mother—in which that slice was the only one she decided on decorating again after discovering she still had leftover icing and carrot toppings.

“I enjoyed today, Ayane.” Yuzuru smiled while holding out the box of cake slice that was for his mother. “My mother is going to enjoy this.”

A smile curved on the female’s face as she notices Yuzuru’s improving grammar. She nodded and told him to take care and good luck going home smelling like cake ingredients. This made the Japanese laugh.

“So, I’ll see you when I see you?” Ayane asked, tugging the back hem of her shirt as a sign that she was slightly nervous.

“ _Mhm, I honestly just wanted lessons because I wanted to see you._ ” He chuckled.

Much to his disappointment though, the female was not able to understand a few words he used. He sighed and waved before turning to leave her house. But before he could walk any further, Ayane called his name once again and said, “I’ll watch Finlandia so you better do your best!”

Yuzuru turned his head sideways to look back at the female. “I will.” He said. “ _I’m gonna miss seeing you every day._ ”

That, Ayane understood. She stood there frozen and watched him walk away, it was going to be the last day she’ll ever see him, and she doesn’t know when the next one will be.

She regretted not being able to take his phone number—only because it was just honestly awkward!

Yuzuru arrived home seeing Mrs. Hanyu raising an eyebrow. “ _God, Yuzu. You smell like egg yolk and whipped cream._ ” She muttered and immediately told him to take a shower.

The younger male nodded, giving her the box containing the homemade carrot cake slice before going to his room. He took his phone out and texted his best friend Javier.

**_“Javi, can I get Ayane’s number?” –Yuzuru_ **

It didn’t take long for his friend to reply.

**_“Finally asking her number, eh? Sure, I will forward her number in a few minutes.” –Javi_ **


	10. Chapter 10

Yuzuru and Javier flew to Finland with Brian, while Ayane was busy with… School. As much as she wanted to text her Spanish friend how everything was doing in his part, she couldn’t get the right timing. But one Thursday—somewhere around midnight—she received a text from an unknown number.

**_“We just arrived in Finland. I hope you are doing well with your studies.” –Unknown number_ **

**_“—Yuzuru” –Unknown number_ **

The first thing in Ayane’s mind was: _Where the hell did Hanyu Yuzuru get my number?_

The second was: _Lord have mercy, I think my heart is about to explode._

And with that, she ended up not being able to reply for the text knowing that it was 3 in the morning and that she had to get ready at specifically two and a half hours for school.

“Do you think it was awkward to send this kind of message?” Yuzuru asked his good friend Javier Fernandez as they walk around the hallways of the hotel. He showed him his phone in which the screen showed the message he sent to Ayane. “Is it weird? Forward?”

The Spanish skater took a glance at what his friend was talking about and shrugged. “Even if it is, Ayane would not mind. She sends weirder messages.”

“Like?”

“Hm, like… This,” He showed one of Ayane’s old messages.

**_“On a scale of 1 to Kazakhstan, how screwed do you think I am for the tests tomorrow?” –Ayane_ **

**_“North Korea.” –Ayane_ **

**_“That was random but okay good nightttttt” –Ayane_ **

It took Yuzuru a few seconds to react to what he just read. “This does not make sense.” He said, tilting his head with his eyebrows furrowed as if he was still trying to understand Ayane’s random text.

“Well, a stressed Ayane is a weird Ayane. Once you get close to being one of the people she usually texts, you’ll get random messages from her and you’ll just end up scratching the back of your head laughing.” Replied Javier with a chuckle.

“She doesn’t rant about school, instead she sends random text messages.” He added, showing a few more random text messages he received from the female.

**_“What does apple pie with cow meat taste like? Should I make one?” –Ayane_ **

**_“I miss visiting the Cricket Club… But do you know any bakery that sells Oreo Cheesecake?” –Ayane_ **

**_“I dreamed about dead people becoming aliens and rising from their graves with laser guns in hand. You were there killing them while wearing a Mickey Mouse onesie.” –Ayane_ **

The Japanese ended up lightly shoving Javier’s phone away as he had enough of reading their female friend’s ramblings that do not even make any sense. “That’s enough, I don’t get her sometimes.”

“She’s amusing, isn’t she?” The Spaniard mused.

“Yes. She is very nice to be with.”

A chuckle escaped from Yuzuru as he realizes how funny Ayane can be. There were so many things about her that he was slowly discovering and it just made him happy thinking about it. He suddenly felt like wanting to see her again and have another fun chat with her, like back then at her house with the English lessons.

He remembered about her upcoming Taekwondo tournament which made him quickly turn his phone on and type a message for her.

**_“Good luck… Your tournament… When?” –Unknown number_ **

Ayane flinched at the sudden _ding_ she heard. Then she realized that her phone was in her pocket, and that she forgot to turn it to silent. She took it out and received a message from Yuzuru—still not saving his number on her contacts.

“Hm, I guess I should reply now. Class starts in a few minutes, anyways.”

**_“Tbh, same day as your FS. But don’t worry, I’ll be watching you guys even if I don’t get any sleep after the tournament. We have different time zones…” –Ayane_ **

**_“Also, do you like putting raisins on Pecan Pie or nah?” –Ayane_ **

On the other side of the world, Yuzuru was staring blankly at his phone screen as he asks himself what in the world was a pecan pie. He looked over to Javier who was now setting his luggage down beside the bed he chose and called for him.

“What is Pecan Pie?” The Japanese asked.

“It’s a pie with pecan nuts. No, I have not tasted those before.” Javier answered, adding another before his friend could ask again. “But why in the world is she asking you about raisins in Pecan Pie?”

Yuzuru shrugged. This made the Spanish skater sigh and chuckle, “I can now say you guys are officially close friends.”

**_“Yuzu, answer me. I want to try baking Pecan Pie when you guys get home. RAISINS OR NAH?” –Ayane_ **

**_“Or do you want Oreo Cheesecake because I’ve been dying to eat one since the last time I ate. Which was three months ago.” –Ayane_ **

**_“I miss our conversations. Class is starting. Bye.” –Ayane_ **

It has been a week since they last talked, and Yuzuru felt the same. He actually learned so much about speaking in English after that and the book they read together was very interesting that he can’t wait to continue reading it next time. He started tapping his two thumbs on the phone screen as he types a reply.

\---

**_“I do not mind which since you make good food.” –Some Pooh-loving Dude_ **

“No seriously, that’s what you named him on your contacts?” Kaye—who was not just a best friend of Ayane but also a classmate—muttered.

“What? It fits him. He’s obsessed, I swear.”

The blonde female scrolled over to Ayane’s other contacts on her phone and practically laughed at each and every name.

“Nam is Noodles and Ketchup, I bet Javier is ‘Spanish Mickey Mouse’, Terrence is the ‘Racist American Guy in Taekwondo Club’, I think I’m the Blonde Bitch, and I think the only people with decent contact names are your mom and dad.” She said. “But you might be the only child who names their parents’ contacts with their first name.”

“Uh, at least no one will know who the hell is who when my phone gets snatched.” Ayane reasoned out, shrugging.

“I can’t believe you know who is who with these… And why is Nam noodles and ketchup?”

“He mentioned something about putting ketchup on noodles one time.” The plump female snatched her phone and typed a reply for Yuzuru.

**_“Awwwww, you’re so nice. Oreo Cheesecake it is then :D” –Ayane_ **

Back in Espoo, Finland, the men’s have just finished their practice, and everyone was ready to get lunch. Yuzuru and Javier proceeded to the Spaniard’s hotel room as they were told by Brian to wait for him and Tracy there as he talks with her about the upcoming Short Program in a few days—they’ll be eating lunch together right after.

“To start a topic, what kind of girl do you like?” Javier started once they arrived inside his room. Yuzuru sits on a random chair he found while the Spanish skater sits on his bed.

The Japanese was facing the back of the chair so he leaned forward resting his two arms on top of it. “Why talk about this? I’m not interested in girls right now, Javi.” He said.

“I’m just curious, amigo. I might even find you a good enough girl one day, you know?” Replied his friend while wiggling his eyebrows up and down.

Again, Yuzuru repeated that he was not interested in a relationship as of now, but answered Javier about his preferences for girls in the end. “A skater so we can talk about our own sport… Cute… And if I do get a… _Kanojo…_ I don’t want hanging out much with her because skating is important for me.”

“ _Kanojo_?” Javier asks, the Japanese nodding. It took him a few minutes to think about what it meant, replaying what his friend said in his head. “Girlfriend?”

Yuzuru’s mouth formed an ‘o’ in which he just realized what _kanojo_ just meant in English. He nodded.

“Man, I’m learning a few Japanese words from you.” Chuckled Javier.

“I want her to be a Japanese too. Because talking English is… Is… _Mendokusai._ ” Once again, the Japanese failed to know what word to use. Although he also used the same word to express how speaking in English really is a pain in the butt.

This time, the Spanish skater didn’t bother asking him as his head is also getting dizzy from thinking what it meant. They continued talking and just a few minutes later they heard their coach knock the door then opening. Brian announced that they should start lunch.

\---

**_“JUST A FEW MINUTES BEFORE MEN’S SP IN FINLANDIA STARTS!!!” –Ayane_ **

**_“I KNOW I’M ANTICIPATING IT ALSO!” – Noodles and Ketchup_ **

**_“I CONNECTED MY LAPTOP TO THE TV AND I’M WITH KAYE!! Parents are out today as well lol. Gonna scream while I still can.” –Ayane_ **

**_“Of course, Yuzu has a pretty great SP this year.” –Noodles and Ketchup_ **

**_“IT’S STARTING!!!!! OF COURSE HE DOES HE’S PRETTY HOT.” –Ayane_ **

**_“DON’T YOU DARE SEND ME A SERIES OF MESSAGES OR I’LL BLOCK YOU” –Noodles and Ketchup_ **

“He says not to send him tons of messages…” Kaye commented as she watches her best friend sending continuous messages to Nam, ignoring his threat.

When the very first skater was left on the ice, Kaye and Ayane shifted on the bed they were sitting on and eagerly watches the skater stand in the middle of the rink as he waits for the music to start.

Yuzuru was second to skate, so by the time Samuel Koppel was finished and was on the Kiss & Cry, Ayane once again took her phone out and started sending text messages to Nam—who seems to be getting quite annoyed of the female.

**_“Be happy that you’re older and that I’m so used to you doing this to me. I’m putting my phone in silent mode.” –Noodles and Ketchup_ **

“Wow, you kinda pissed him off.” Chuckled the blonde.

When they saw Yuzuru enter the rink, the plump female starts shaking her best friend.

“KAYE THEY’RE CALLING HIS NAME.”

“KAYE YUZURU’S ON THE RINK!”

“HE’S SO HOT.”

“YUZUZUZUZU!!!!”

Kaye lightly pushed her friend off her, “God, you’re crazy as usual.”

Once she found Ayane calmed down, she saw a smile on her face that was quite different than usual. It wasn’t a ‘fangirl smile’ like the blonde would usually call; it was more like she was genuinely happy, thankful—on second thought, she can’t even explain what that smile meant. But it was just something else.

_Is Ayane falling for Yuzuru more than just a ‘fangirl crush’?_

Once again, she found her best friend on her phone, texting who seems to be Nam Nguyen again while her eyes were set on the television screen. How in heaven’s name does a person type on the phone while looking at something else?

**_“HE FELL ON A JUMP.” –Ayane_ **

**_“HOLY HELL HOT YUZU ALERT.” –Ayane_ **

**_“AHHHHHHHHHH I TUNK IM DYING Nam” –Ayane_ **

**_“LOL, typos, Yanna.” –Noodles and Ketchup_ **

Once Yuzuru was finished with his Short Program, Ayane felt like she was about to die. She lied down on her bed, still watching Yuzuru on the TV screen walking to the Kiss & Cry.

“Wait, where’s Pooh-san?” The female asked once she realized that Brian wasn’t holding on to Yuzuru’s precious tissue box.

Just then, they witnessed the Japanese mouth out asking where his Pooh was and the coach told him he left it making the skater laugh with slight disappointment that his tissue box will not be with him in the whole Kiss & Cry.

And there we have it, Yuzuru received 75.57 for his Short Program, currently in first place. Ayane squealed and started texting once again the Canadian skater.

**_“HE’S IN FIRSTTTTTT. JAVI’S NEXT AFTER VIKTOR ZUBIK.” –Ayane_ **

“Ayane you… Really are a crazy figure skating fan, huh?” Kaye commented, sighing. “You better save some of your energy for school and night training tomorrow. Our tournament’s close after all…”

“I know, I know… I’m just really excited right now.”

The plump female’s phone vibrated and she checked her lockscreen which showed the message.

**_“How did I do, Ayane?” –Some Pooh-loving Dude_ **

Her mouth curved into a smile, swiped her phone to the right and typed a reply.

**_“Amazing.” –Ayane_ **

The short program ended with Javier on first and Yuzuru second. The rest of the time after Kaye left, she had a conversation with the Spaniard over texting.

**_“You were pretty great back there.” –Ayane_ **

**_“Disappointed that Yuzu didn’t get first, chica?” –Spanish Mickey Mouse_ **

**_“I don’t mind whoever gets first or second as long as both of you guys get on the podium lol.” –Ayane_ **

**_“So, I asked him about what he likes for a girl…” –Spanish Mickey Mouse_ **

**_“I know. Pretty, Japanese, a skater. He had a few interviews back in 2011 where he talked about that.” –Ayane_ **

**_“As I thought, haha.” –Spanish Mickey Mouse_ **

**_“I’m no match for his preferences. And I’m dead sure I’ll never even get a chance to be in a relationship with a Pooh-obsessed guy who seems to be married to figure skating. I know that… That’s why I try not to fall for him.” –Ayane_ **

**_“…But Javi… It’s kinda hard.” –Ayane_ **

Javier glanced over to Yuzuru who was fast asleep after a few minutes of being in the car, then he looked back onto his phone as he read Ayane’s last message. He knows how hard it was for her; since he’s seen the two become closer and closer.

Ayane used to be just a fan who can never get close to Yuzuru. But now she became a friend of his—as she tries to hide the fact that she is even a fan… An obsessed one.


	11. Chapter 11

“Ayane is not texting me for so long.” Yuzuru pouted, scrolling his last conversation with Ayane up and down. The practice for their Free Skate has just finished and it was only a few hours left before the competition. He and Javier were on their way to go find their coach Brian just to take him for lunch.

“Maybe she thinks you are busy. She is also not texting me.” Replied the Spanish skater with a shrug.

“You remember today is also her competition?” He added.

The Japanese nodded and asked, “Will she be able to watch us?”

Javier smiled and raised a thumbs up. “She’s Ayane, I bet you she will.” He said. “Her friend Kaye promised me that she’ll send videos of their matches.”

Yuzuru’s eyes suddenly lit up. He has been curious about how Ayane fights ever since he watched her practice. He inched closer to his friend and asked: “Really? She will?”

The Spanish skater nodded, earning a smile from the Japanese.

\---

“What are you doing, Ayane?”

“Checking the schedule for Men’s Free Skate just to make sure I’m not mistaking the time since I’m really confused with time zones sometimes.”

While on the bus which was on its way to the tournament venue, Ayane was busy checking on the competition Yuzuru and Javier were in while her fellow taekwondo teammates were practically talking to each other about the tournament. Besides that, she was also texting Nam about how excited she was for the Free Skate later.

“We’re talking about our upcoming matches while you’re busy with figure skating. Oh my God, you better get gold today.” Commented one of the female’s teammates, Kaila, a red belt and the same age as her.

A few people nodded, agreeing since she was one of the best players who has a high chance of getting a slot in the provincials.

 Kaye butted in with her eyebrows furrowed saying: “As if you guys don’t know who trained the hardest before this. Ayane was full of bruises a week ago!”

Terrence nodded to the blonde’s statement, “I agree but don’t go around fighting your teammates, Kaye.” He chuckled.

“Guys,” Ayane called for her teammates’ attention, turning her phone off to look at them. “I swear I’ll kill myself if I get anything besides gold.” She smiled, raising a thumbs up after keeping her smartphone back to her bag.

Finally, their coach entered the conversation and mentioned encouraging words to inspire his students. “I want all of you to do your very best, okay? Especially you Terrence, Kaye, and Ayane.”

“I won’t blame anyone if any of you loses. If you all did your best out there, that’s what matters. It cannot be helped if you lose, you just have to do your best next time.”

Everyone nodded with a smile. Terrence raised his hand to call the attention of everyone and proceeded with singing the cheer song they have just composed three days ago. There were only a few minutes left remaining before they arrive at the stadium, and they were going to make the most out of it by being optimistic before the tournament starts.

“Once everyone is out of the bus,” Coach Andrew faced his son, “Ren, you line everyone up while Jin, Dennis, Harley and I bring the equipment inside. Make sure to introduce our team to the heads, you know what to do.” He explained, Terrence nodding to his father’s instructions as he immediately instructed everyone to line up.

 Ayane was the fifth shortest person out of 22 people, and since everyone makes fun of her height, they—as usual—started making jokes about it since she really hasn’t been growing since she was 15.

“She only became the fifth shortest because we got new members last year.” Kaye snickered.

The plump female turned around and glared at her best friend, “And I am still questioning why I’m friends with you, Kaye.”

The male once again called for everyone’s attention and led them inside the stadium. Just as they were told, they introduced themselves to the head and the organizers before starting their warm ups in which they all forced Ayane to lead.

Immediately right after warm ups, the female ran up to her phone and started watching the livestream after realizing that it was already 12 PM in Finland—the time where the Mens’ Free Skate starts.

Kaye found her and quickly face palmed once she noticed what her best friend was doing. She walked up to her and helped her stretch by carefully pushing her back just to let her head reach the floor.

“Oh yeah, I promised Javier that I’d send him videos of our matches.” The blonde stated.

“Really? I better do my best then.” Replied Ayane as she feels suddenly nervous about the fact that Yuzuru might watch it as well.

Andrew called for his students and proceeded with the kicks right after he arrived with the equipment. It was also the same time where the host was starting to announce the bouts for the elementary division. There were three mats—courts A, B, and C—so he called for 9 bouts specifically to get ready for their matches.

“It’s still around 6 AM so we’re most probably gonna fight at around after lunch, as usual.” Kaye glanced over to Ayane who she found too busy to listen to her since she was watching the first group’s free skate.

“Ayane… Keep your head in the game, please. You have 6 opponents to beat to get that gold medal and one of them is last year’s national champion.” She said, snatching her best friend’s phone away from her.

The female snatched her phone back frowning, “I told you I’ll get that gold medal, Kaye. I just really need to watch Javi and Yuzuru as much as possible if I can’t watch the whole competition.”

“If you’re nervous that I won’t get that gold medal, I understand. Half of my opponents are unfamiliar people so we don’t know their strategy, but you know I’m one of the most competitive people in the team, right? Don’t worry, I promise by lunch the Free Skate is going to be over.”

Kaye heaved a sigh, nodding as she bids her best friend a good luck and reminding her to just join them whenever she wants to. She then proceeded to doing a few kicks with their teammates.

\---

Then the worst case scenario happened. By the time Yuzuru was now inside the rink, Ayane’s name was called and immediately she was now being dressed with the blue armor, arm and shin guards, and a headgear. Around that time, she was also mentally cursing at how she was called at the worst time possible.

“Ah-um, Ayane? Are you okay?” Terrence asked as he noticed the female’s annoyed expression, tying the armor from her back.

“Do you see that I’m okay?” She replied angrily while fixing her headgear as she walks in the middle of the mats. The male followed her, sitting on the chair beside the mats as he was going to coach for her—since his father was coaching for Harley on the other mats, Court B.

In the middle were Ayane, the umpire and her opponent—named Fae who’s from Ottawa. They started with the umpire commanding the two players to bow at each other, to the judges, then face each other again to finally start the match.

The crowd went wild when the female took a quick step turning side which hit Fae’s stomach painfully. She asked for a 10-second timeout to let the pain on her stomach ease out, while Ayane went over to Terrence drinking water. It happened so fast that most of the people watching were whispering.

“You’re on fire today.” Commented the male with a smile, lightly punching her armor.

A somewhat sinister laugh escaped from Ayane’s mouth, “Nobody distracts me from watching a figure skating competition, especially when it’s Yuzuru who’s on the ice!”

Roughly ten seconds later, they were called back in the middle of the mats. The umpire shouted the specific word that continued the match and the two players were now bouncing once again. For a few seconds, none of them thought of executing a kick as it was very risky to do so. Both of them were fast with amazing reflexes.

But when Terrence yelled the female’s name, it was as if a switch was turned on that she had an idea on what to do in mind. She released a perfectly executed axe kick, but Fae was able to slide back and release a front leg 45 kick. Ayane saw the opening which made her counter the kick by releasing a turning long.

And the crowd once again went wild. The male jumped from his seat as he witnessed how perfect she had hit her opponent in the head, and now Fae was dizzy after that hard kick she received.

But no matter how hard Ayane was trying to beat her opponent with her hard kicks, Fae didn’t want to back down without a fight. It took them the whole two rounds to declare the winner which was Ayane by 6 points. The two players shook hands with the plump female apologizing for being rough on Fae.

“It’s okay. We all expected this when we started playing this sport.” Chuckled the opponent. “You were pretty amazing though, talented I can say.”

Ayane shook her two hands, “Oh no, no, no. Just… Intense training. Determination, confidence…” _Inspiration most especially…_ She mentally said.

She asked once again if Fae was doing fine—in which she nodded for the nth time—before going back to her team who immediately gave her a group hug and reminding her that she has five more people to beat for the gold medal. But the female ignored them and walked up to Kaye after the hug as she has been holding onto her phone since the match, asking what happened to Yuzuru.

The blonde handed her the smartphone in which the screen was still playing the livestream of Finlandia Trophy. “Yuzuru’s in need of an inhaler.” She joked.

Ayane glanced and was only able to catch up to the Japanese catching his breath as he finished his Free Skate, then suddenly collapsing down the ice which made her eyes widened in shock as worry consumes her.

“Oh my God, is he okay? He’s so tired…” She kept repeating ‘oh my God’ as she continues watching him tiredly stand back up, bow and skate back to Brian still catching his breath. And up until the Kiss & Cry he was still out of breath.

“He looked like he was dying. In the second half he was really, really tired with his movements getting sloppy and all.” Commented her best friend, watching the livestream with her. “He has asthma, right?”

The female nodded and by the time Yuzuru’s segment and overall score flashed in the phone screen, they squealed loud enough for only a few of their teammates to hear them. He was currently in first place, and now it’s finally Javier’s turn.

Just then, the phone vibrated indicating that Ayane received a text message. Then she noticed that it was Nam who messaged her.

**_“Yanna! You watched it right?! Yuzuru’s free!?” –Noodles and Ketchup_ **

Ayane grumbled as she silently complains how she just finished her match and wasn’t able to watch the Japanese’s Free Skate.

**_“Shut up, I’m so pissed that I wasn’t able to. I just won my first match.” –Ayane_ **

**_“CONGRATSSSSS” –Noodles and Ketchup_ **

**_“I WASN’T ABLE TO WATCH YUZURU!” –Ayane_ **

**_“Nevermind brb Javi’s on.” –Ayane_ **

\---

Finlandia Trophy ended well with Yuzuru winning, much to Ayane’s delight as she practically screamed. Luckily Kaye covered her mouth enough to not catch anyone’s attention while they watch the other players’ matches.

It was currently 3PM in Canada while it was 9PM in Finland. The taekwondo competition was still ongoing, with Ayane, Kaye, and Terrence—who were of course the best players of the team—beating each and every opponent and winning every match they were in.

As they finals were about to start, Ayane had an unlucky fall at the semi-finals earning her a sprain, and no matter how many times her coach told her to withdraw the final match, she didn’t want to.

“You’ll be a reserved player even so since you’ll get the silver medal!” He exclaimed, trying to think of reasons to change her mind.

“But I want to represent Toronto for the provincials! It’s unlikely Mika would withdraw her slot when she wins gold.” Retorted the half-Japanese female. She stood up, withstanding the pain she was feeling and showed her coach that she was doing fine.

“I’m okay, see? I can still do it. This is the last match, we won’t know who will win unless I try. It’s just a sprain, coach.” She added.

“Just a sprain!? It could lead to a more serious injury, Aya! Just stop, there’s always next year!” Terrence entered the argument as he was one of the most worried person for Ayane.

The three kept arguing, shouting at each other as if there wasn’t an upcoming match for the female. The judges and juries were only waiting for them to make up their mind whether they were going to let her fight or not.

Kaye had enough and went up to the judges herself and told them that they would let Ayane fight the finals. This made the host announce it, and once Terrence and his father heard this they immediately turned to the blonde with a glare.

“At times like these if Ayane is being stubborn, let her do it. You can’t stop her because she knows how much she’s been training for this day, and you all know that too since you’ve seen her fall many times due to exhaustion and yet she stands up ready for another round of kicks.”

The father and son were speechless, glancing over to Ayane whose eyes were brimming with determination, as if she they were saying that she’ll win this match as well. She was sure she’ll beat her opponent no matter what.

“Alright,” Sighed Coach Andrew, ordering Kaye and Terrence to dress her into her protective gear. “The person you’re facing is Mika Reynolds from Hamilton—of course we all know her. You know what she’s capable of, you’ve watched her past matches. I know you can do it, Aya.”

“We have complete faith in you. It’s just that we didn’t want you to get hurt.” Terrence added, tying the red armor on the back, also asking her if it’s too tight or not.

Once she was ready, her team started cheering for her as the match starts. Kaye was holding onto her phone, recording the female’s final match. Javier still hasn’t seen the other videos she had sent, maybe because the competition had just finished and they were all exhausted from it.

During the match, Ayane was limping, and was mostly using her right foot to kick as she was nervous that her left foot might get injured more if she tries to execute a kick. But although that was the case, she risked an out-in Crescent Kick and it successfully hit Mika’s head.

Ayane didn’t let her rest even the slight second as she changed her foot positions—left at the back, right in front—and immediately executed a left turning long.

Then the buzzer was heard indicating the match was finished.

And with that, Ayane was declared the winner which made Terrence ran up to her to give her the tightest hug.

\---

One Sunday morning, Nam, along with Ayane—whose left leg was bandaged—were waiting on the arrival hall as they try to find their precious friends who just came back from a competition in Finland. The two were squinting their eyes as they look for anybody that looked like a skinny and tall Japanese—since they decided that Yuzuru was the easiest to spot since they bet he’d be carrying Pooh with him.

And they were right. They immediately spotted the three. Yuzuru—carrying Pooh—sand Javier wearing their jackets, and Brian following alongside them. The Canadian skater and Half-Japanese female had to wave both their arms just for them to be noticed.

The Japanese was the first person to notice his two friends and immediately ran up to them while pulling his baggage along. Javier and Brian followed with a smile on both their faces.

Yuzuru’s smile faded though when he noticed Ayane’s bandaged left leg. “ _What happened?!_ ” He exclaimed, pointing the injury.

“ _…I tripped._ ” The female replied, sticking her tongue out while running her fingers through her hair just to move the bangs away from her forehead. True, it was a trip, but it wasn’t just a ‘simple trip’.

“ _You’re lying. That’s not a normal trip since you also have bruises on your legs._ ” He stated, pointing the lower part of her body.

“…Ehe?”

“Don’t ‘ehe’ us, Ayane. You sprained your ankle on the semi-finals match didn’t you?” Javier joined in the conversation with an ‘I-watched-the-videos’ face. “Yuzu still has not watched it since he was exhausted.”

“Did you able to watch my Free Skate, Ayane?” Yuzuru asked with broken English, but Ayane was able to shake it off because of his cute smile. He was anticipating a yes from her but unfortunately she frowned and slowly shook her head, his smile fading.

“Why?”

The female bit her lip as if she was guilty that she wasn’t able to watch his performance, “It was my first match. When you were in the middle of the rink, the host called my name and I had to get ready.”

Once again, the Japanese asked if she really was doing okay. Ayane nodded, even happily lifting her right leg up—in which she regretted as she immediately felt sharp pain from her left ankle making her lose balance.

Thank the gods, Yuzuru was able to catch her.

“ _Liar._ ” He said with the usual playful smile he gives out, holding onto her hand as she regains her balance. “ _And you didn’t have to pick us up. You’re injured!”_

“I just… Really wanted to see you by the time you arrived.” She replied, blush creeping on her cheeks noticing that he wasn’t planning on letting go of her hand.

Yuzuru smiled and ruffled her hair with his Pooh tissue box as none of his hands were free—he didn’t want to let go of her hand being that he’s concerned that she might fall again because of her injury as they were finally on their way out of the airport together.

“A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside.” The female was surprised when she heard him say that. It was in perfect grammar although it was, as always, accented. But she bet that he just memorized it since he is obsessed with Pooh. She was able to smile at what he said, even though she did not completely understand why he even mentioned a Pooh quote.

It surprised her when she heard what he said right after, “ _I missed you, Ayane._ ”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh, just a quick reminder that if the dialogues are italicized, that means they're talking in Japanese. And if they aren't, well, they're speaking in English. :')

_Dear Yuzuru Hanyu,_

_I’ve known you since I was figure skating (don’t ask how, I’m really crazy for this sport). The very first time I saw you in real life was when you were skating for the Junior Grand Prix Final in 2009. That was also, unfortunately, the very last time I ever skated in a competition. I have my problems, hehe._

_You were amazing to the point that I was inspired. And up until now I’ve been following and supporting you through your competitions—_

Crumple, crumple, crumple, and then off to the trash bin it goes, so did the envelope that went with it. Kaye glared at her best friend who gave out a cringed expression after throwing the piece of stationary paper away.

“Yuck. I’m cringing at my own fan letter, I just had to throw it away.” Said Ayane as she felt shivers down her spine for some reason.

The blonde stood up walking to the trash bin to retrieve the letter, but she was stopped by the plump female pulling her by the wrist. “Don’t you dare, I shouldn’t have let you read that. I’m so embarrassed right now.”

The letter that Kaye was reading was a fan letter Ayane had wrote a year ago before Yuzuru ever came to Canada. Thinking about back then, she still thinks that everything that has been happening around her right now is a dream. A very, very long dream wherein when she wakes up, everything is going to go back to normal.

But nope, throwing that letter away struck her that everything was real. Yes, Yuzuru is in Canada being coached by Brian and Tracy, he’s four houses away from her, and in just a few more hours he and his friends are going to arrive along with the two coaches to celebrate the Japanese and Javier’s medals from Finlandia Trophy.

“So your dad actually let you invite guy friends to come over? That is so rare. They’d never even let our teammates in!” Kaye blurted, striking a conversation.

“Hey, Uncle Brian is with them so that’s plus points for mom since they’re friends and he’s like my second father.” Replied the female as she rummages around her closet on what to wear. She took out a few clothes for the blonde to see and all of them were rejected.

Well, she was never into fashion, so it was understandable she sucked at choosing clothes.

 “I also kinda invited Terrence and a few of our close friends at TKD club too since dad is kinda out of town for work and mom’s the only one home. You know how she’s okay with anybody as long as they’re my friends.”

“Lucky for us, then. Your dad has always been the killjoy.” Muttered Kaye. She finally had enough of her best friend’s awful taste in clothing as she rummages the plump female’s closet herself. At the very back of the closet was a simple blue short sleeved dress that was just perfect for a simple celebration.

She took it off the hanger and showed it to Ayane who immediately shook her head immensely. “Anything but a dress, I’m too fat to wear one.”

“Aya, it’s a simple dress without any rhinestones, glitters, sparkles, whatever the hell you call them. It’s perfect for today, and it’s not only their win that we’re celebrating. It’s yours too.”

Eventually, Kaye forced Ayane into wearing the dress no matter how many times the female shook her hands. If only her ankle was doing okay, she would’ve run away and not come back until the blonde was tired of chasing her.

But well, she was still injured so she can’t help it. And just as her best friend had expected, it was beautiful.

“You’re not fat. You’re plump, it totally fits you.” Kaye exclaimed, circling around the female as she admires how simple yet beautiful the dress was when her friend wore it. It fitted her perfectly, complementing her body.

The Half-Japanese had to ask her more than five times to make sure if it really was good on her since she didn’t want to look stupid in front of her friends—especially Yuzuru. The blonde kept repeating that it does to the point that she wanted to hit her head just to make her realize that.

 _If only she wasn’t sprained I could’ve done so already._ She mentally told herself as she didn’t want her best friend hurting any more—as she was already hurt from the sprain. Sometimes, Ayane needed a hit in the head just to make her realize things.

A loud _ding!_ Was heard from outside Ayane’s room which reminded her about the Pecan Pie she left in the oven. Immediately, she made a run for it, stumbling afterwards as she felt the horrible pain of her ankle.

She keeps forgetting that she was injured, and that the pain was the only thing that reminds her she is. Kaye sighed then proceeded to getting the pie from the oven.

“I’ll go get it. You. Rest. Since you and Nam picked Javier and Yuzuru yesterday you haven’t been resting.”

“But I am?”

“I MEANT LAYING DOWN IN BED. IS RESTING WALKING ABOUT OUTSIDE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?” The blonde scolded.

Ayane followed her best friend who was on her way to the kitchen, continuing their conversation. “There was just… Something that couldn’t get out of my head since that morning at the airport.”

 _I missed you, Ayane._ Besides those words that melted the female’s heart, the smile he gave her—that specific smile where his eyes disappears—made her fall in love (as if she already wasn’t, but she was trying not to.).

And there Kaye’s switch turned on. She smirked and practically forced her best friend to spit and explain what she was talking about, but of course the female shook her head and tried to change the topic as much as possible.

“Aw, come on! We’re best friends!” She whined.

\---

The table was all set with different desserts and snacks placed. There were also ice cream inside the freezer if any of them wanted some, and of course we cannot forget the Oreo Cheesecake Ayane has been craving for.

“ _Ojamashimasu._ ”

That familiar voice made the female and her best friend immediately turn to the doorstep. There stood Yuzuru with Mrs. Oshiro who opened the door. The older woman was shocked as she could not believe her eyes, a famous figure skater was right in front of her.

How can she not know who the Japanese was when her daughter almost talks about him when she has the chance? She eyed her daughter then took a deep breath as she welcomes him inside in Japanese. Of course she’d know the language, her husband is a Japanese.

Yuzuru looked around the house in several directions as he looks for Ayane. He gave up a few minutes later and ended up asking the woman where the female was.

“ _By the kitchen, just go straight ahead then you’ll see it on the left._ ” Mrs. Oshiro instructed him. The Japanese bowed and proceeded to where the kitchen was. It has already been a while since he was last inside the Oshiro household, and that was back then when Ayane taught him English.

Once he saw the female who was having a chat with her best friend, he smiled and ran up to her while calling her name. This surprised her as she received a hug from him.

“ _W-w-what is it? Yuzuru?”_ She felt his hands wander on her cheeks as he squishes them, while his chin was resting on top of her head.

“ _I missed your cheeks. Let me pinch them for a while._ ” He said while whispering _‘fuwafuwa’_ along with the pinching and squishing.

Ayane tried to move his hands away from her face, but couldn’t. And then they suddenly both heard a camera snap, realizing that Kaye just took a picture of what was happening. A mocking smirk was plastered on her mouth as she shook her phone.

“Gotta record the memories~” She said in a sing-song manner.

What Yuzuru found funny about the Half-Japanese’s cheeks were that after getting pinched, they become red. He always waited for her to pout with those red cheeks as he found her the cutest when like that.

“Hey, Yuzu came first before us.” Javier’s voice made Yuzuru stop pinching Ayane, walking up to him immediately.

The female rubbed her cheeks, “Ack, my cheeks feel numb.” She said with a sigh.

And then somehow, the people just kept coming. After Javier and Nam, there came Terrence with three of Ayane and Kaye’s taekwondo club mates who were immediately sitting down on the vacant chairs by the table, ready to eat.

“So, who made the food?” Terrence asked by the time he arrived at the kitchen with his friends.

“Aya. This girl has no chill every day.” Answered Kaye with a sigh, pointing her best friend. “Mrs. Oshiro kept bugging her that she’ll cook but this girl, as I said, has no chill.”

“I promised Javi and the others desserts remember?” Ayane reminded her best friend who seemingly ignored her statement.

Mrs. Oshiro came with a camera ready as she starts becoming the photographer for the day. She had always loved taking pictures and collecting cameras were one of her hobbies. “Okay, kids! Smile for the camera!”

“Oh God no, mom.” Ayane muttered, face palming.

Seemingly so, the older woman found her daughter’s friends to be very interesting. They were weird and funny, but she couldn’t keep her eyes away from Yuzuru. He was the most polite of all— _well he is Japanese, that’s understandable_ —and somehow Ayane is very attached to him.

 _Oh wait, I keep forgetting she really looks up to him._ She mentally reminded herself, shaking her head. _I really should have a mother-daughter girl talk with her sometimes._

“ _Hanyu-kun—”_

 _“Yuzuru is fine, ma’am.”_ The Japanese’s smile was so radiating and attractive. Without a doubt Yuzuru was very charming and easily-liked.

“ _What a nice young man! How is Canada so far for you?”_ Replied Mrs. Oshiro, unconsciously taking pictures of the male with her camera while they continue their conversation.

Ayane eyed her mom as she thanks her silently for taking pictures of Yuzuru, now that she’ll be having a new wallpaper for her laptop anytime soon.

The small celebration was doing well with everyone eating and talking to each other. The three figure skaters seemed to enjoy getting to know taekwondo from Ayane’s friends and vice versa. Although, everything went downhill when Javier suddenly felt like vomiting after tasting the apple pie on the table.

The Spanish skater ran to the bathroom as fast as he can with everyone frozen shocked at what just happened. Ayane slightly flinched once she realized the reason why Javier acted like that. This made Kaye glance over to her suspiciously as she tries to make her spit out what she put in the apple pie.

“Um… Uh… I might have put fried meat, corn, bacon, and… Jalapenos.” The female whispered as she tries to avoid the blonde’s eyes.

There was an awkward silence before everyone gasped, Mrs. Oshiro scolding her daughter once again about experimenting food. “I told you not to make other people eat your abnormal dishes!”

“But… I was craving for something spicy with bacon and corn and meat and apples…. Uh…”

Javier left the bathroom, on his way back to the kitchen with a thumbs up. Somehow, everyone ended up cheering, especially Kaye who congratulated him that he was able to put up with Ayane’s weird dish.

The plump female ran up to him while countlessly apologizing by kneeling on the ground and bowing in front of him while her head touching the floor, “I’m sorry for almost killing you!”

Yuzuru had to pull her up as she didn’t have to apologize to him that way. “ _Doing a dogeza is too much, Ayane. Stand up!”_ He said while chuckling. “ _Look you’re hurting your ankle again._ ”

She did. When she stood up with the Japanese male’s help, she felt the familiar sharp pain on her leg as she held onto him tighter by his arms. “I keep forgetting I’m injured,” Ayane chuckled sheepishly. “Sorry, Yuzu.”

“ _It’s okay… How’s your ankle feeling?_ ”

“…Okay.”

_Reminder, Ayane. You are to not fall in love with him. Don’t you dare fall for him… You’re only hurting yourself…_

_He doesn’t deserve a person like you._

When Kaye saw the way her best friend looked at Yuzuru made her excuse herself as she tells Ayane that she forgot something inside her best friend’s room. When in reality, she went inside just to retrieve the crumpled paper and envelope—which surprisingly has a recorder inside—from the trash bin.

She laid the paper even as she continued reading the letter. And much to her surprise, she discovered more about how her best friend feels for the Japanese male whom she knew was not just a big motivation for Ayane.

 “She doesn’t just look up to him… She was saved by him.” She muttered.

Turning the crumpled letter around she saw a handwritten music sheet, and immediately she glanced over to the untouched piano that Ayane has not been using for months.

Up until now, Kaye didn’t know that Ayane was still lost.


	13. Chapter 13

When Kaye arrived back, she witnessed the most unusual thing ever in her seventeen years of living in Earth: and that was people actually having a competition about who gets to finish a plate of Ayane’s abnormal dish. The ‘poisoned’ apple pie.

She glanced over to her best friend’s mother who was taking pictures of the moment as if it was _totally okay_ for them to eat the lame excuse of a dish experiment.

“Um, what just—how did this happen? Are they asking for a death wish?” She asked.

Mrs. Oshiro chuckled as she snaps one more picture of Terrence and his friend Harley competing before turning her head to the blonde. “Apparently, yes. It was Nam’s idea after all!” Her tone of voice seemed very excited and jolly—as if nobody is in the brink of getting ‘food poisoned’.

Kaye, eyes widened, then turned to Ayane who was laughing her ass out as she watches Terrence who was about to die from the horrible taste of the dish. She went up to her and asked how everything started as he is becoming completely concerned for the current competing males’ health after their showdown.

The plum female answered her, still laughing in between: “Nam talked everyone out about having an eating contest since I made 4 plates of apple pie with the weird ingredients.”

“The first round was him and Javi, and apparently Javi.” She pointed the Spaniard who was by the sink.  “Just finished vomiting after his second slice, while Nam somehow survived thanks to his strategy.”

The blonde looked around and saw the Japanese alone by the corner, “So, what about Yuzuru?” she asked, pointing him.

“I told him not to join if he doesn’t want him to kill himself.” Replied Ayane, snapping a picture of Javier who seemed too weak to even move away from the sink—much to her laughter.

“By the way, what did you forget inside my room?” She asked right after putting her phone back inside her pocket, facing her best friend.

Kaye clutched her bag strap tightly—wherein inside was her best friend’s fan letter and the recorder with it—and said: “Ju-just my handkerchief!” She waved the handkerchief she took out from her pocket while uttering a fake-yet-realistic laugh.

“So basically you won’t care if anyone of them dies from your abnormal dish?” She added, going back to their previous topic.

“They’re um… They can take care of themselves.” Ayane uttered as she exactly has no idea what to do if any of them actually gets food poisoned.

“Gee, you just care for Yuzuru too much.” Kaye muttered, rolling her eyes.

 “Hey Aya,” She inched closer to the plump female. “I’m your best friend right? I’ve always been, so tell me everything, please?”

The female glanced up to her with a confused expression, but somehow got what she was talking about and smiled, “Don’t I already?” She got a headshake from the blonde, making her sigh.

“Sleepover later?” She added, reminding her about her text message last night.

“Definitely.”

Once again all of a sudden, Ayane received a hug by Yuzuru from behind. A smile emerged from Kaye as she watches the Japanese pinch her best friend’s cheeks once again. The half-Japanese female does not seem to mind as she wasn’t even doing anything to stop him.

 “Seriously, what is with you and Ayane’s cheeks?” The blonde giggled, too giddy to take her phone out and sneak a picture.

“…She like… Looking like… Pooh.” Yuzuru uttered, adding a cute yet sheepish “Hehe.” Right after as he wasn’t able to speak in correct English.

The plump female turned her head slightly just to look at Yuzuru with a shocked expression, “ _I do not look like Winnie the Pooh!_ ” She exclaimed.

“ _But you’re chubby like him, your cheeks are soft like him. You’re my real life Pooh!_ ” Replied Yuzuru, hugging her tighter. Again, Ayane doesn’t seem to mind.

“ _Wow, since when do you own me?!_ ” _Jerk, you already kidnapped my heart._

Mrs. Oshiro joined their conversation giving out an innocent—when it actually wasn’t—smile saying, “Aya has a Pooh onesie she wears during the night.” Ayane wanted to hide herself under a rock as she forgot her mother is a pro when it comes to understanding the Japanese language.

Somehow the Japanese skater’s eyes glimmered as he looks back to Ayane telling her to wear it now, at this very moment. Of course, the female refused to so he continued hugging her, saying that he won’t let her go unless she does so.

 _I wouldn’t mind._ Ayane mentally slapped herself as she holds onto Yuzuru’s arms that were wrapped around her upper arms. She knows enough self-defense to immediately free herself from a grip like this, but who would not want a long hug from Yuzuru Hanyu?

Terrence then walks up to the two with a very confused expression on his face. “Are you guys dating?” He asked, hiding the worried tone he didn’t want anyone to here. He had just finished eating the ‘poisoned’ apple pie, him winning the showdown with Harley.

The plump female immediately escaped the Japanese’s grasp, quickly replying a “No, were not!”

This made the taekwondo playing male give out a relieved smile, giving his friend a pinch in the cheek chuckling. “So, how did I did there? Your apple pie was horrible by the way.”

“Hm, congratulations for not dying.” Was the only comment Ayane could give out. “Are you okay though?”

“My stomach might go against me tomorrow because of the jalapenos.” He chuckled, tucking stray hairs away from the female’s face. “Get well soon okay? We’ll be waiting for you at the gym.”

Yuzuru, who a few seconds ago was hugging Ayane, was now back at the corner watching people as he has no idea who to talk to. He has never been the type of guy to approach first when it comes to strangers. He could have gone to Brian and Tracy, but they seemed busy talking about the next competitions for him and Javier. Nonetheless, he ended up walking up to them and having a small chat as he listens to his two coaches.

Kaye rolled her eyes as she watches how Terrence was making a move on her best friend. She used to like them together, as he has been a very nice person and that he sincerely does like Ayane. But he was a shy type thus they stayed being friends. Yuzuru suddenly showing up, made her suddenly become a YuzuAya fan.

YuzuAya, she had thought of that pair name for a few days now.

The male continued chatting with his crush, mostly about the next school year and the university. In a month, they’ll be graduating and will be going to college. This was a difficult topic for Ayane to talk about as she still has no idea what to take. This reminded her that she needed to think as soon as possible.

“Maybe University of Toronto.” She answered, as what most of the graduating students always answer.

“I might go take a scholarship for each universities and go to where I pass. I might also apply for varsity, I don’t know.” Replied Terrence with a shrug.

Ayane smiled nodding, “Well, you’re really, really good so I won’t be surprised if you get in to U of A, York or Ryerson. Or maybe all three of them with a scholarship!”

He pinched her small nose as he had always been doing for three years. Besides her cheeks, Terrence pinching Ayane’s nose was his second favorite. This made the female tell him to stop but she wasn’t able to slap his hand away.

 Eventually the male pulled away saying, “Whatever, Asian girl.” With a chuckle and a ruffle on her hair.

“Racist!” Ayane exclaimed, sticking a tongue out. Those somehow became their nicknames for each other ever since Terrence joked about being the first Asian to have joined their team three years ago.

Meanwhile, Yuzuru found himself standing by the corner alone again as he watches everyone having fun. Nam was taking care of the wasted-looking Javier by the sink, Brian and Tracy were still chatting about the upcoming Skate America as the Japanese’s next competition, the taekwondo players have their own world chatting and taking pictures together. And Ayane’s mother—well, she was nowhere to be found.

The people that caught his eyes though was Ayane’s smiles while talking to Terrence. Somehow, he can never look away from the female’s perfectly imperfect smile—she had crooked teeth, and yet her smile was charming the way it is.

“How you holding up, Yuzuru?” He glanced over to his left and found Kaye standing beside him. He muttered a soft greeting with a slight bow.

“…Okay…” He added right after, answering the blonde female’s question.

She found him glancing over to Ayane which became the idea for their first topic. “Ayane… What do you think of her?”

Yuzuru shrugged. He honestly does not know what he exactly thinks about the plump female, but rather she was just a really close friend of his, and that she’s soft and fun to hug like Pooh. Just that and nothing else.

“She is… _Someone special to me._ ” He added, speaking what came out of his mind.

Kaye tilted her head and repeated the latter words the Japanese said which was in his native tongue, “ _Boku ni tokubetsuna hito?_ ” It was as if she opened the Japanese dictionary in her head.

She had a fairly good knowledge about the language as she has been taking Japanese lessons since her first year of high school; the reason being that her best friend was half-Japanese, and that she wanted to understand more about it.

A smile crept up to her mouth as she realizes what the Japanese had said. Four years of taking Japanese lessons were enough for her to understand and speak a few simple sentences, “ _How special?_ My Japanese isn’t that good, but speak in your native tongue all you want. I can understand.”

Once again, the male shrugged. “ _Well, we’ve been friends for only a few months, but I seem to really like hanging out with her already. That kind of special person._ ” He replied with a slight relief of being able to speak in Japanese instead of struggling with English.

It took Kaye a few minutes for her to translate what he all said, nodding. “Ayane’s so fun to be with, huh?”

Yuzuru nodded, smiling with his teeth shown, “ _I actually missed her already when I wasn’t able to see her for a day. It was worst when I was in Finland._ ” A chuckle escaped from his lips as he remembered the days he waited for a text from Ayane but never came.

 “ _I mean, who wouldn’t miss her cheeks?!”_ He added, and now there he goes rambling about how soft the plump female was, making the blonde laugh.

Yuzuru was laughing with her, and when their laughter died out he glanced over to the female once again. “ _She’s done a lot of things for me, like teaching me English._ _I wish I could do things for her too._ ”

 _Yuzuru, you’re already doing things for her just by being right next to her._ Kaye thought, sighing.

_I just hope you don’t hurt her one day…_

\---

The small party quickly ended when half past 7 arrived. Yuzuru and Nam had to accompany Javier home being the most tired of them all. Besides them, everyone was all healthy and happy on their way home.

Just as promised, Ayane and Kaye each took a shower and changed to their pajamas. The plump female was wearing the Pooh onesie Mrs. Oshiro mentioned a few hours ago though. But besides that, for the first time in five months, she’ll be able to turn the lights off before going to sleep.

 “Well, what’cha wanna do before calling it a night?” She asked, rolling on the left side of her bed where the blonde was preparing her futon.

Kaye didn’t know how to lead the topic to what she actually wanted to talk about, so she straightforwardly asked, “Are you still into playing the piano?”

Ayane paused for a moment, then tried to bring it to a different topic. “How about we talk how cute Yuzuru—”

“Aya,” The blonde called for the female’s name just to cut her off, “Why did you give up on everything you loved?”

The plump female sat up, crossing her legs and propping her cheeks on her hands. “We’ve talked about this, Kaye…”

She expected a reply from her friend but received nothing but a blank stare as she was awaiting for an answer. This made her sigh.

“Again, as I always tell you, I hate being the center of attention. I’m not good enough at anything I used to love doing.”

“You gave up on a lot of things…” The blonde trailed off as she glances over to the untouched piano, and then bag that had the Half-Japanese’s old ice skating shoes in. “Don’t tell me you’re going to give up on taekwondo one way or another too?”

“Honestly, I almost did that.” Ayane replied, “But… Yuzuru kinda stopped me. In a way.”

This was one of the things she has not talked about to her best friend yet. What Yuzuru actually means to her. “When I watch his competitions, or when I hear articles about him and his achievements… I learn a lot from those. And then I just suddenly realize that I shouldn’t give up on the things that I love.”

“I’ve moved on from skating… But with music… Honestly I still haven’t. But I can’t seem to touch the piano without my hands shaking and not moving.”

She clasped her hands together as she felt them shake once again as she remembers the horrible memory back then.

Last year Ayane was randomly picked to perform on the school’s annual recital that is held once a year. Her classmates did not agree with what the teachers decided as they believed that there were much more talented people than her—and so they started bullying her.

At the day of the recital when it was finally her time to perform, by the time she saw the big audience in front of her, her mind was swirling and her vision became hazy. She believed that sitting down in front of the piano would calm her down, but somehow her fingers weren’t able to move—but they were shaking.

She wasn’t able to perform, and ever since then she became a laughing stock for the whole school year and decided to never touch the piano again. Not because she didn’t want to, but because her fingers seemed like they themselves don’t.

“I feel like I’ve said this to you a million times now, Kaye. Yuzuru’s my motivation and my inspiration.” The female said, smiling. “I know I’m gaining feelings for him, but I know I’ll flat out get rejected so I’m trying to forget it.”

“I can’t fall for Yuzuru Hanyu. So, let’s pretend that I never said anything and that everything is all just a fangirl crush, okay?”

As much as Kaye wanted to talk more about her feelings for the Japanese, she ended up nodding and asking a game of Scrabble with her before they decide on getting a good night’s sleep.

The very next day was an unfortunate morning for Ayane, though.

 “Ms. Ayane Oshiro please come to the principal’s office immediately. I repeat…” The voice from the speaker in the hallways called for the plump female. Calling her name again and again as it doesn’t stop until she arrives at the specific place they want her to be.

The students that were passing by glanced over to her—who was standing in front of her locker taking a few textbooks—for a few seconds before whispering to their friends as they all become curious of what was happening.

Their thoughts: _What did Ayane Oshiro do again this time?_

Of course, she knew what happened. While she was on her way to the principal’s Kaye started scolding her about the mess she just made being one of the witnesses. But the blonde was unfortunately ignored and left outside the principal’s office as her best friend storm inside, slamming the door shut.

“Now, Ms. Oshiro, I’m very sure you know why I called you here today.” The principal, Mrs. Lee, glances over to the female who was slumped on her chair with a stony expression, then to the male, named Adam, who was sitting across her and were covered in bruises from head to toe, his head wrapped in a bandage.

On the sofa just beside the door was another female student, Trish, with a teacher accompanying her. The attention went back to the two across the principal’s table.

 “As you know, it is a major offense for a student to hurt his or her fellow students.” Mrs. Lee explained. She opened her mouth again as she was about to continue speaking, but Ayane beat her to it.

“Ma’am, this guy right here,” She pointed to the male across her, “was harassing that girl at the sofa!” Then she pointed at the female who was by the sofa, looking traumatized.

“But what I’m saying is…” Mrs. Lee cleared her throat. “You almost hurt Mr. Adam Lancer to the point that he ALMOST went to the hospital.” She stressed the word ‘almost’ as if to threaten the plump female.

But the half-Japanese only rolled her eyes. “Wow, so these bruises right here,” She pointed her upper left and right arm that showed bruises, “Are just an accident? Excuse me, he was harassing Trish, and he taunted me so I had to punch his stomach. But no, he had to hurt me as well so isn’t it a normal thing for a woman to protect herself?”

Adam spat something about hitting his head and almost breaking his leg. But Ayane countered that she was just trying to sprain him so it wasn’t a big deal, and that she didn’t kick him that hard in the head. She had only did it in hopes that he’d realize that he was doing something wrong and sick.

Guess it didn’t work though; he had the guts to even report her to the principal.

“Ms. Oshiro! You planned on spraining Mr. Lancer?!” The shocked Mrs. Lee lightly slapped her table.

“He wouldn’t stop, so I threatened him. As if I was even going to.” _He deserves it though, pervert._ Once again, Ayane rolled her eyes.

Adam seemed to have felt offended as he witnessed the female’s eye roll, so he started yelling at her. Ayane, being a person who didn’t want to back down knowing that what she did was right, yelled back as they started bickering.

The only thing the principal was able to do was slam her table loudly to earn the two’s attention and threaten them about not being able to graduate. She then glanced over to the Half-Japanese with a glare, “And for you, Ms. Oshiro,”

She took her record book and turned it to a specific page wherein Ayane’s warnings were recorded. “You’ve had quite a lot of visits her because of your habit of hurting students. You know you won’t be able to get your Certificate of Good Moral Character if you keep this up.”

The two was able to shut up, as they both needed to graduate, and that Ayane really needs the certificate as it was a requirement for college. She glanced over to the principal who seems to be waiting for an apology, so she took a deep breath and, “Sorry.”

Uttered an insincere apology.

Adam avoided her gaze and pretended to have accepted her apology since obviously they won’t be making up anytime soon.

Minutes later after the apology, Ayane left the office with Trish right beside her as if she was guarding her from Adam who was right behind them leaving as well. The female student ended up leaving her though once she was outside of the office and ran off to her class, thanking the plump female.

Adam gave her one last glare before leaving to go to his own class, and then she felt a hug from her best friend who has been waiting for her outside—actually skipping a class just to wait for her to come out.

“Tell me it ended well.” She said, as though she was expecting her best friend to actually say it.

Ayane sighed, rolling her eyes as she explained that the talk with the principal ended well, but she was not able—and probably will never be able—to make up with Adam. This made the blonde sigh in relief and told her that they should go to Physics class by now.

But just right behind the blonde, the plump female was limping while following her best friend to their next class.

\---

“She what!?” Nam choked his own drink after hearing the unbelievable story from Kaye.

Apparently after school, Kaye and Ayane didn’t have taekwondo practice so they thought of visiting the Cricket Club who were having their afternoon practice. By the time they went inside and realizing that everyone was on break, the blonde ran like the speed of light up to the three boys—namely Yuzuru, Javier, and Nam—and explained the whole fiasco her best friend and created this morning.

“She almost injured a pervert who was harassing a fellow female student.” Repeated Kaye, continuing on her rambling about how her best friend did it, basically repeating the whole story again.

Yuzuru, who had no idea what she was talking about due to the fact that she was talking in immense speed, tilted his head in confusion as he watches her ramble. He glanced over to Ayane who seemed to not care about her best friend narrating her ‘almost trip to dropout’ and was sitting by the benches.

He went up to her as he remembered her sprain. So far, the only thing he understood was that she fought someone at school and that made him worry if she even used her sprained left leg to fight. “Ayane,”

Ayane looked up and smiled at Yuzuru as she greeted back, “Yeah?”

“ _Are you hurt? Kaye is babbling about how you hurt somebody at school._ ” He asked, sitting right next to her.

The female nodded, tapping her right foot while her left foot was still, making sure that she doesn’t move it. “Honestly, it’s hurting a little since I did almost beat up a guy. _But I’m okay._ If he didn’t kick my left shin, this wouldn’t have happened.” She gave out light chuckles to make it seem like it wasn’t a big deal.

But it actually made the Japanese worry as he starts asking if he hurt her any further than what she had just explained. She shook her head and assured him that she really was okay, instantly holding onto her bruised arm as if she was scared of him to know she was actually hurt. It was a good thing she decided wearing a long sleeved top.

“….And Ayane was all bruised up on both her arms…”

Kaye’s statement made Yuzuru roll up Ayane’s left sleeve, noticing the bruises she got from the fight. “ _You said you weren’t hurt._ ” His voice was low as if he was about to scold her; but it was only because he was starting to worry.

“You keep forgetting I’m immune to getting hurt like this, Yuzu. I play taekwondo remember?”

He pulled her cheek—rather harder than usual which actually hurt—and said: “ _I’m just really worried for you, Ayane. You’re still injured and yet you go about fighting people._ ”

“Trish was helpless…” She muttered, trying to avoid his gaze while holding onto the cheek where he pulled.

“ _Think about yourself sometimes!_ ”

“I am! _I just care about other people more than myself!_ ” Ayane almost raised her voice, sighing. “It’s a habit… _I’d risk myself just to protect the people who doesn’t deserve the horrible things they experience…_ Like what happened to Trish. _I’d risk myself just to protect the people I care for._ ”

“Yuzu, I don’t know why but I’d risk everything just to see my friends happy.” _Because I wasn’t able to stop Akane from dying back then._

The Japanese smiled and patted her head. “ _Then can I protect you then?”_

“ _Stupid, as if you can actually protect me._ ” She snorted, poking his sides.

“I’d beat up all the people who’d try hurting you in a jiffy, while you’ll be flying to the Eiffel Tower after getting punched trying to protect me!”

“ _Wow, how rude of you!_ ” Yuzuru and Ayane ended up laughing together. He smiled at her once their laughter died out, picked his Pooh tissue box up and poked her nose with Pooh’s lips.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I just want to say thank you so much for reading my fic. I've never thought I'd actually get comments and they actually made my (shitty) day today. 
> 
> I'll continue doing my best and I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as well! :')

“What do you mean you guys are taking me to NHK Trophy?” Ayane’s eyes widened in complete shock as she repeats in a question-like manner what her Uncle Brian just told her.

Nam who was still tuning down his laughs walked up to the female and said: “Yuzu got his bag almost snatched back at Skate America. If it weren’t for the police officer who was a big fan of him, he wouldn’t have gotten his bag back!”

She tilted her head still not getting anything, “What does this have to do with me?”

“Chica, you really don’t understand anything…” Javier walked up from behind her, holding her two shoulders as he moves her in front of Yuzuru. “…You’re going to be his bodyguard.”

It took her almost three minutes for the thoughts to sink in, and once it finally did, she pointed herself, raised her eyebrows, and finally let out a good loud scream. After successfully graduating high school and getting online lessons in University of Toronto, she wasn’t expecting that she’ll be able to immediately watch a figure skating competition live after her last one—which was years ago.

She asked about her parents’ approval but Brian already had talked about it to them and they were okay with it.

“Why me though?”  The female asked, “And it’s Japan. In Sendai, IN HIS OLD HOME RINK, why should I go around being a bodyguard for him?”

 _Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned his home rink. I sound too much as if I know everything…_ She mentally scolded herself. Her eyes moved over to Yuzuru who didn’t seem to care about how she mentioned a few things about him which made her sigh in relief.

“Because we know you won’t ask for payments since your parents’ are gonna pay for your fees,” Brian answered with a suspicious smile, “And of course, we believe in your amazing skills as a taekwondo player.”

Javier nodded adding: “Yeah! Remember when Kaye told us the story of you beating up a guy just to protect the girl from being harassed? That’s what made coach decide to take you instead,” He inched closer to Ayane with a mock-ish smirk, “And Yuzu would appreciate having a close friend right beside him, ya know?”

The female gave the Spaniard a strong punch on his arm, sticking her tongue out. She bets $20 they just couldn’t find any other person to look after Yuzuru who seems to be careless sometimes. Especially when his mother went back to Japan first before him.

Speaking of his mother back in Japan, who’s going to take care of his food? He can’t even cook!

This made Ayane glance over to him and worriedly asked if he has eaten. Of course, the Japanese replied with a nod which made her sigh in relief.

“But isn’t your mom gone?” She asked.

“ _She cooked food for me after she left. Although I won’t be having any more since she only made breakfast and lunch for me._ ” The Japanese answered, shrugging.

“When’s your mom’s last food for you?”

“ _… Like I said breakfast and lunch… Yesterday. I didn’t eat breakfast toda—”_

Once the female realized immediately what he was saying. “ _Wait, you haven’t had breakfast?!”_

“ _I didn’t like the packed sandwich Javi got me._ ” Answered the Japanese with a disgusted face as he remembers the taste of it just by the first bite.

He’s going to be a total goner—unless he’d put up with instant noodles or something, or maybe buying those packed lunches from convenience stores. Wait, what is she saying? He’s a picky eater!

He’s not gonna last long if he can’t even eat packed sandwiches.

The female placed her hands on his two shoulders with a determined face as she sparks up an idea for him to survive, “What time do you wake up, what time do you eat lunch, what time do you prefer dinner?”

Due to Ayane’s quick rambling, Yuzuru wasn’t able to follow which made him tilt his head. This made her repeat her words much slower, and then he answers her in complete detail as his free time varies.

“But why asking?” He asked. His awful grammar reminded the female to teach him English again soon.

She smiled while pointing herself with her thumb, “From today onwards, I will be Yuzuru Hanyu’s chef. Only till Mrs. Hanyu arrives back here in Canada though.”

Hearing Ayane’s statement made Javier and Nam glance over to her with wide eyes as they protest that it was unfair for the Japanese to only be the one to eat her food. “I want to taste Yana’s food too! Be my chef!” The Canadian skater begged, pulling the hem of the plump female’s shirt.

“Same here! I’m too lazy to cook for myself now!” The Spanish added raising his two hands.

A chuckle escaped from Ayane as she shakes her head while telling them that she’ll only be someone’s chef if it’s in a life or death situation.

“Oh, so Yuzu without a mother to cook for him is a life or death situation?” Nam crosses his arms with a pout. “You just like him, Yana!”

Oops, big mistake for the Canadian skater as he receives a whooping kick to his behind right after talking. He winced in pain as he walks up to a bench while holding onto his right butt cheek that was hurting. Yuzuru and Javier were only able to laugh at how their friend was struggling; that’s what you get for teasing a taekwondo girl.

“So, are we good now with you coming to Japan with us?” Brian asked Ayane once again just to make sure.

The female looked up as she tries to remember if she has any other online home works for the next two weeks, and also her taekwondo training schedule as she’ll be out of the country for a while. “Hmmm, yeah. But I have the Provincials coming up.”

“When was it again?” The male coach asked as he forgot about it, knowing that he had just asked her about this back then at the small celebration when they went back from Finlandia.

“Erm, two days before the first day of NHK.”

Two days before NHK. Why that’s one of Yuzuru and Javier’s days off since they’ll be packing up around that time. Both their eyes lit up as they glance over to their coach who seemed to have understood what the two boys want to do on that day.

Brian chuckled then said: “Okay, okay. You both can go.”

The two cheered, Yuzuru jumping up and down. Since he saw Ayane’s match videos back at the last competition, he’s been dying to watch a real sparring match up close and personal. “Where is it going to be held though, Aya?” The male coach added as he glances over to the plump female.

“Hmmm… Quebec.”

Nam started having a mini-tantrum at how he isn’t going to be able to come watch, especially when he heard of Quebec. It was one of the places he loved going to, but on that day he’ll be practicing at the Cricket Club while his other friends are having fun there.

“That’s unfair!” He yelled.

“Haha, better luck next time, Noodles.” Ayane teased with her tongue out.

Roughly the first days of cooking for Yuzuru was a struggle. Ayane didn’t know what he likes eating and that she scolded him every time he would eat an unbelievably small portion of food. Why, she could eat two bowls of rice while he was only able to finish one—sometimes leaving it half finished.

She had also discovered that he hates _tsukemono_. When the female served breakfast with _tsukemono_ alongside it, he refused to eat them. Other food he hated was pickles in particular. Ayane had put on the effort of making homemade burgers only for him to take out the pickles out of the bun.

And don’t get her started with the bell peppers. She made the effort of making a fancy-looking dish by making meat stuffed inside bell peppers and Yuzuru refused to eat. Although green bell peppers were okay since he ate the beef stir-fry with green bell peppers.

“I am so stressed with this boy.” The female muttered as she spends her time inside the kitchen of Yuzuru’s house thinking of dishes to cook for him for the following days.

\---

 

“Yuzuru, wake up!” The plump female kept shaking Yuzuru from his bed.

It has been exactly the start of the second week since she started coming over to the Japanese male’s house to cook him food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Situations like this was the usual; she’d wake him up whenever he was late for the usual schedule for his breakfast. And always after eating lunch they’d have their English class.

“ _I made Oyakodon today!_ So you have to wake up while it’s hot!” She shook him once more, vigorously than the last. But when she noticed that he was already awake and just didn’t want to leave his beloved bed, she hovered over him, leaned in slightly…

Then pulled his two cheeks, and pinched his oh-so nice nose as well. The goal of it was to wake the Japanese up, but she thought that it was also a good chance for revenge for always pinching her cheeks.

This finally made Yuzuru sit up yawning and stretching his arms out. “ _Good morning, Ayane.”_ He muttered, half-asleep.

The female rolled her eyes and left his bed. “ _Go-ha-n!_ ” She yelled, hands on hips as she reminded him breakfast for the nth time before slamming the door shut.

Eventually they ended up eating breakfast together since Ayane didn’t want to skip on the Oyakodon she made, it was delicious—according to Yuzuru. Usually right after that, she’d leave him and go back home; but since he doesn’t have practice starting today, and since the female was alone once again at her house for today, a whole day English class isn’t so bad. Especially when it involves watching English movies.

“ _What are we going to watch?”_ Asked Yuzuru. He got scolded by the female as she reminded him that they need to both speak in English whenever they were ‘in class’.

“Uh… What we watching?”

Ayane corrected him as she once again reviewed him about the past, present, and future tense, articles (in grammar) and the proper use of ‘is’ and ‘are’ in singular and plural nouns while setting the television up and asking him to repeat his question with the correct grammar.

“Hmmm… Hmmm… What are we… Watching?” Yuzuru ended up halfway sighing and muttering “ _Mendokusai._ ”

“It’s the correct grammar… But you’re asking as if we’re already watching something. It’s something like ‘What are we going to watch?’” The female corrected him, then walking up to sit right next to him on the sofa.

“Oh yeah, it’s gonna be Percy Jackson.” She added, answering the Japanese male’s question.

“The book?” He asked, eyes lighting up as he found the first book of the Percy Jackson series interesting. They were able to actually finish it two days ago.

“Uh-huh! It’s not as good as the book in my opinion, since there were a lot of missing parts and all that, but it might help your English if we watch a movie.” She explained, pressing the play button on the television. Both their eyes move on to the movie that was now playing in the screen.

Apparently, every time Yuzuru has a hard time understanding a sentence, Ayane would pause and explain what a person said meant, and dive in more to grammar. The movie had played for half an hour and yet she has no idea how many times she paused it just for him.

But it was fun since the Japanese was cutely trying to repeat some of the sentences he hears in the movie, and the female was only able to giggle at how his head would tilt sideways while squinting his eyes thinking of how to pronounce some words properly; because the Japanese’s ‘l’ and ‘r’ problems were on the way.

“Le—lealy?” Yuzuru tried to pronounce the word ‘really’ but failed—again.

“How about refrigerator, Yuzu?” Asked Ayane while hiding her laughs as she knew how Japanese people had a problem with this specific word.

“Ah… Um… Refurijeta… Refujeta? REJUFETA?!” The male was now making a frustrated expression as he couldn’t pronounce the word correctly, the female was—at this very moment—laughing her ass off.

“Re-fri-ge-ra-tor.” She repeated, Yuzuru following her.

When she told him to pronounce it in one go… “Refijeta.”

“No, no, no…” Ayane uttered, trailing her words off into a laugh.

After the female’s laughing died out, the Japanese’s cheeks heating up as it turns red, they continued watching the movie which was now on the part where they just slayed Medusa’s head and putting on sunglasses to avoid it’s stone-turning eyes. Yuzuru found this funny.

“Maybe playing Scrabble will also help you.” Ayane muttered to herself as she thinks of other ways to help her friend with his English while she was watching the movie. This caught the male’s attention making him look at her.

“It can help develop your vocabulary.” She added, deciding that it was a good idea while looking at him with a smile.

A smile formed on Yuzuru’s mouth—probably because Ayane’s smiles were always contagious—as he appreciated how the female thinks of other ways to teach him English besides just sitting down on a table with textbooks and such. He picked Pooh-san up—who has been laid down on his lap since the whole duration of the movie—then poked her nose with his lips.

He uttered a small chuckle, “ _Pooh-san seems to like kissing your nose._ ”

“I feel loved by Pooh-san~” Replied the female in a sing-song manner, placing her hands in her cheeks as if she was feeling bashful. “Is he coming with us tomorrow in Quebec?”

“Of course!”

\---

Ayane woke Yuzuru up earlier than usual to catch their flight to Quebec. Finally it was the day of her Taekwondo Provincial Competition. She and the male—along with Javier—will be flying a one hour plane ride with her coach Andrew, Kaye, Terrence and three more of her taekwondo mates who advanced to the provincials.

She had texted the Spanish skater to meet up with her and the Japanese at the airport, in which he accepted. Apparently he arrived earlier than his two friends which made him wait outside the entrance.

“Javier?”

His head turned to where he heard the familiar female voice and realized that it was Kaye with her teammates and coach. “You’re coming with us!?” She exclaimed with an excited smile plastered on her face.

“Yes, Yuzu and I specifically…” The Spaniard answered, also adding that the plump female just called a few minutes ago about the meeting place.

“Ah, yeah. I just got a text from her as well.” Replied the blonde, waving her phone up. “You guys are doing what I asked, right?”

Javier nodded smiling, “Yep. Coach and I basically agree about that anyways. Ayane might realize a lot of things if she sticks with Yuzuru.”

It didn’t take long for Ayane and Yuzuru to arrive at the airport entrance.

 “You did not tell me these boys are coming!” The blonde exclaimed in complete surprise by the time she saw the two of Japanese descent walk up to them while calling out their attention. She silently prayed that the plump female did not hear her conversation with the Spanish skater.

“Well, they’re very supportive friends!” The plump female replied with a chuckle.

Yuzuru held Pooh-san with his two hands as he shows him to Kaye, “Pooh-san is also here with us!” He said with a smile, waving his beloved tissue box in front of her.

“He is saying ‘good luck!’” He added, moving Pooh-san’s hands.

A smile was brought to the blonde female’s face as she sook one of the tissue box’s hands.

 _Aw, he is so cute…_ Ayane thought as her hand found its way to the Japanese’s cheek, pinching it.

“You child.” _He acts younger than a normal kid._


	15. Chapter 15

Their flight to Quebec was one hour. For the whole duration of that, Ayane spent it all on listening to a shuffled playlist of ONE OK ROCK songs. Yuzuru, who was sitting right next to her, witnessed her moving her head with the music blasting on her earphones which made him ask what she was listening to.  
  
“Just one of my favorite rock bands, ONE OK ROCK—” Just before she could finish her sentence, the Japanese gasped and told her that he also listens to them.  
  
The two had a long conversation about their favorite band—with the female squealing like a fangirl would do. But when the plane was about to leave the ground, they both stopped as they found themselves bothersome to other people.  
  
Ayane lent an earphone bud to Yuzuru, with the song Kanzen Kankaku Dreamer playing. The two couldn’t restrain themselves from lip syncing and head banging to the song as if they were in their own world.  
  
Kaye was sitting right next to Javier, just across the two, when they witnessed the two having fun listening to the music they both are into.  
  
“Quick question, are you a YuzuAya fan?” Asked the blonde, glancing over to her seatmate.  
  
“I accepted your favor, of course I am.” Replied the Spanish skater with a grin.  
  
It was already quite obvious that the sports complex in Quebec would be larger than the one back in Toronto. But by the time Ayane with her team and friends arrived inside, they couldn't stop staring in awe at how beautiful the inside was.   
  
"Fancy," Javier commented as his eyes roam around, spotting a few food stands at the sides as he reminds himself where to buy snacks in case he gets hungry.  
  
Andrew was the one who led the children to where the football stadium was, as that was the venue for the taekwondo event. But as they were walking about, Ayane’s eyes were wandering elsewhere besides her friends who were in front of her—everything was just so fascinating to her eyes.  
  
She realized that she had lost track of them by the time she accidentally hit a wall, realizing that she has come to a dead end. Our main protagonist is lost.   
  
Unfortunately for Ayane, she has terrible sense of directions as she even gets lost in Toronto from time to time as long as it’s not within her neighborhood. What’s worse is that she is not a big fan of talking to strangers, so she did the first thing a lost person should do: stay in place and call (in her cellphone, in her case) for help.  
  
But when she tried turning her phone on, it stayed black as it indicated that it had died. She remembered the time back at the plane when she and Yuzuru were listening to songs for the whole duration of the flight, and that she forgot to charge her phone before leaving.  
  
Before she could give up, the smell of donuts piqued her interest, and made her stomach rumble. She started walking to where the smell was coming from—completely forgetting to stay about—and saw a donut stand close by.  
  
Ooh! Dunkin’ Donuts!”   
  
So much for worrying that she’s lost.  
  
“Five courts!?”  
  
“Outdoor stadium and a retractable roof!?”  
  
“Ah, the smell of fresh air!”  
  
Kaye was basically fangirling by the time she saw how spacious the venue was. The fact that the football stadium—which was the venue to be used for the tournament—had a retractable roof in case of the scorching head amazed her to the point that she can’t wait for the event to start.  
  
She turned around to face her friends, specifically looking for Ayane. But her smile turned upside down once she realized that her best friend was nowhere to be found as her once overjoyed feeling was replaced with worry.  
  
“Um, where the hell is Aya?” She asked everyone who were also amazed at the venue.  
  
“What do you mean where she is, she’s right he…” Terrence trailed off as he realizes that Ayane wasn’t around. “Where the hell is that Asian girl?”  
  
Everyone in the taekwondo team knew exactly how stupid the plump female was with directions. The sports complex was large, which immediately made them feel worried for her who might be lost as of the moment.  
  
Andrew ran his fingers through his hair as he muttered a curse under his breath, “Someone call her now!” He exclaimed.  
  
“Coach, her phone’s off or something. It says she can’t be reached.” Kaye replied, still holding onto her phone.  
  
Yuzuru interrupted their conversation as he mentions that Ayane completely forgot to charge her phone when they both left to go to the airport a few hours ago.  
  
And so, he earned a yell from the taekwondo team, as well as Javier. “WHAT?!”  
  
Kaye walks back and forth as the worry she’s currently feeling is stressing her out, “Ayane is one of the most responsible person I’ve ever met, but what the hell? This is just stupid!” She yelled, ruffling her hair, ruining her ponytail.  
  
“I’m gonna give her 60 push-ups for this.” Terrence muttered, face palming.  
  
Andrew ordered everyone to split up. Ayane took Yuzuru with her knowing that he’d struggle with conversing if he goes alone. They both started at the very entrance where they came from for it to be easier. Knowing that it’s Ayane, they’re sure she won’t be roaming around crying like a lost child.  
  
But they almost asked every person that passed and none of them have seen the female even with the photo on Kaye’s phone that they have been showing. They rested for a while at a food stand that offered tables and chairs.  
  
Kaye buried her face on the table as she muttered: “We’re getting nowhere… Where the hell is she?”  
  
Yuzuru propped his cheeks on his hands, his eyes glancing over to the Dunkin’ Donuts stand when he saw a familiar female sitting at one of their tables. He immediately tapped the blonde’s shoulder to get her attention, but he was waved away.  
  
“Let me rest please? The situation is stressing me out.”  
  
“But Kaye-san… Ayane is there.”  
  
Kaye immediately raised her head and started turning from side to side as she heard the Japanese’s statement. “THERE WHERE?!”  
  
Yuzuru pointed at the plump female sitting by the tables of the Dunkin’ Donut stand eating a box of donuts. He was immediately pulled by the blonde female as they sprint up to where Ayane was at.  
  
“You good for nothing piece of—”  
  
Ayane was immediately scolded by her best friend by the time the three of them finally met. Yuzuru furrowed his eyebrows in complete confusion as he tried to keep track of Kaye’s immense speed of speaking—but he ended up giving up as it made him dizzy. The plump female kept nodding her head as if she was listening—which in reality, she wasn’t—while biting on the donuts she had.  
  
“Now let’s go back, shall we? We have half an hour before the tournament starts.” The blonde exhaled as if all her worries disappeared once she did.  
  
\---  
  
“You’ll be getting 60 push-ups after this!” Andrew scolded the female. “You wouldn’t be getting lost if you kept your focus on following us!”  
  
Ayane once again muttered an apology while guiltily looking down. She waited for any more scolding but from him but what she got right after was: “… Unless you get the gold medal, then I’ll forget about that punishment.”  
  
A smile was plastered on his face when she raised her head to look at him in surprise. “I’d be happy to go home with a gold medal hanging on my neck, coach!”  
  
Terrence sighed in relief as he watches the plump female finally present with them. He then announced for warm ups to finally start, gathering his teammates at a corner.  
  
Yuzuru and Javier sat on one of the benches closest to the courts where they could get a good view. Their belongings, as well as Kaye and her teammates’, were placed right next to the where they could look after while watching the matches.  
  
A taekwondo tournament usually does not have a specific schedule for a certain player’s match. They would usually rely on the house announcing the bouts with the list of it projected on a screen in case they were not informed. Although the normal schedule for each category was that: the elementary division would always go first, and as much as possible the high school division would be by lunch.  
  
“So, are you guys willing to play the waiting game?” Ayane arrived in front of her two figure skating friends as she explained the gist of a taekwondo tournament.  
  
“There’s quite a lot of players today so I don’t know if they can actually start the high school division’s matches by lunch.” She added as she notices the jam-packed bleachers.

“I bet you’re going to do great, Ayane.”  Javier commented, raising a thumbs up.

Yuzuru nodded with a smile, uttering a good luck to her in Japanese. But even though everyone believes that she could actually get a gold medal, she can never avoid getting nervous; her heart pounding hard and fast as if she can feel it coming out of her chest.

Provincials have always scared her as she has never won this specific tournament since the day she started competing. The most frustrating moment was two years ago, when she accepted the silver medal only because she was one point behind her opponent. And she also lost to that same person last year.

She was Hailey Kerry, and she was known for being the undefeated national champion for three straight years. When Ayane came, a lot of people believed that she could beat her, but she let everyone down when she lost from their first fight.

“Um, Aya…” The plump female turned around to see Terrence tapping his shoulder. “…You have to see this.”

Ayane furrowed her eyebrows as she squinted her eyes only to see Hailey’s name on the second match. “Basically, if you win your first match, she’ll be waiting for you at the second.” The male taekwondo player replied.

“Oh shoot.” _I can’t believe I’m gonna look like a complete loser in front of Yuzuru by the second match._

\---

Every match was intense. People gathered in the provincials were truly the best players in their own city. Each fight Yuzuru—who had to wear a mask on because of the dust—and Javier watched always made them feel like they were on the edge of their seats; intense and thrilling.

“Cool!”

“Wow look he kicked really high!”

“Tall guy lost to short guy!!!”

Eventually, the one who was most excited was Javier who reacted to every kick a player did. He couldn’t keep up with any match though as there were five courts and each of them had matches.

“Next bout, Ayane Oshiro from Ontario versus Jean Boral from Alberta. Please proceed to Court E.”

By the time Yuzuru heard the host announce the next bout, he started shaking his Spanish friend to move his attention over to Court E where Ayane was on her way with her coach Andrew just behind her.

Javier stood up and yelled his friend’s name to cheer her on, the female eventually heard this making her smile sheepishly as she glances over to her opponent her game face on as the umpire starts the match.

And what a quick win it was. Just when she was about to run back to her figure skating friends, she was stopped when the host announced her next bout, in which her opponent was Hailey Kerry.

She was then led by her coach to Court C while reminding her every single thing he had taught her to beat her upcoming opponent. It’s been two years, she should be able to handle her now.

“AYANE GO KICK HER A—” Kaye’s mouth was immediately covered by Terrence who sheepishly smiled at the people around them who gave them glares.

“If you’re planning to cheer for her, don’t badmouth the opponent for goodness’ sake Kaye.” The male sighed as he removes his hand from the blonde’s mouth.

“I can’t help it. She’s an arrogant little shit who needs to lose.”

“But can she really beat her? She’s lost to her during the finals for two straight years now.” Mae, one of their teammates—a Chinese born in Canada girl standing 161 cm tall—says.

This irked Kaye, “I bet you $20 that she’ll beat Kerry by knockout!” She yelled, actually taking out money from her wallet.

“I bet $50 that she won’t. But she’ll win.” Replied the Chinese.

And just right after their argument, a loud whistle sound emitted which circled the whole stadium. This made everyone glance over to where it came from, and realized that it was from the umpire’s Court C.

“W-what happening?” Yuzuru uttered as the whole stadium went silent, besides the continuous sound of kicking from the other courts’ ongoing matches.

“Winner of Court C by knockout, Ayane Oshiro from Ontario.”

The two figure skating males jumped up and down while cheering. A shocked expression was plastered in Mae’s face as she turns to the blonde who was smirking.

“Your $50, Mae Zheng?” She said, her hand waiting for the money.

“W-well that was a joke, right?” The Chinese smiled sheepishly.

Everyone thought that everything was going to go on well for Ayane when she beat Hailey. But she lost at the finals once again by one point as if everything was déjà vu. Once again, she got the silver medal being a substitute in case the gold medalist backs out.

She sat in between Yuzuru and Javier as they watch the last matches for her teammates. Terrence had already won gold as expected, Mae was fighting her finals match with an expected gold in her side, and Kaye had just won gold as well.

Once again, the plump female felt like she had let everybody down with her frustrating defeat. If only she hadn’t tripped three times in the middle of the match, she wouldn’t have been deducted. If only she had executed the right turning long, she could’ve had three extra points to beat her opponent.

But no, she hesitated and played safe because she believed that she’ll win. So much for finally getting gold and advancing to the nationals.

“ _Ayane, it’s okay.”_ Said Yuzuru, taking his mask off him as he tries to smile in front of his female friend.

“It’s been three years, Yuzu. I’ve been wanting to get that gold medal for three years… I don’t know what I should be even regretting right now.” Replied the female in a hushed voice as she focuses more on restraining her tears that had been welling up.

“I took online lessons because I wanted to focus more on this sport, I wanted to be an athlete. I trained hard for this, but everything was all wasted because of my stupid falls and a kick I hesitated on.”

She felt something poke her cheek and then found Pooh-san’s usual smiling face pressed on her. “ _He said everything is going to be okay._ ”

“ _Nothing is going to be okay._ I’ll never be good enough, I had coach and my other teammate’s hopes up for nothing.”

She paused for a moment before glancing over to Yuzuru again with a forced smile on her face, “ _Yuzuru I think I should give up._ ”


	16. Chapter 16

“ _Ayane… Are you okay?_ ” Yuzuru asks the female as they boarded the plane for Toronto.

Ayane didn’t reply, nor move an inch as she was not in the mood to talk to anybody. Her thoughts kept replaying on and on about her loss on the finals a few hours ago, and she just couldn’t talk about it to anyone as of the moment.

But the Japanese kept poking her cheek using his tissue box. He wanted her to look at him and talk to him. “ _It was just a loss, there’s always next time.”_

“Next time?” As if the plump female was triggered by that word, she glanced over to him; her gray eyes were dull with so much pain. “I’ve let everybody down for the third time. I’ve always thought that this was for me that out of everything I’ve given up in, taekwondo was for me.”

“But…” Her voice cracked as tears were finally leaving her eyes. Tears that she has been holding up to for so many hours. “… I’m never gonna be good at anything I love…”

Yuzuru wiped away the tears from the female’s cheek with his thumb. He didn’t know what to tell her as his words might hurt her. They were different, he was optimistic while she was pessimistic.

“ _You’re good, you’re talented. Instead of sulking around being depressed, put your game face on and study what your mistakes were. Train hard and you’ll ge—”_

Ayane slapped his hand away, “Yuzuru you’ll never understand. You’re talented, you’ve done the impossible. Don’t talk as if you’ve been in my—”

“ _But I did!_ ” This time, the Japanese raised his voice, earning a few of the passengers attention—especially their friends. “ _You don’t know how much I practice so hard every single day just to get where I am right now. And still I think I haven’t practice that hard. This isn’t going to get you anywhere, Ayane!”_

He knew he’ll never be able to argue in English so he used his native language to get his thoughts straight. He wasn’t sure if she’ll be able to understand some of his words, but he didn’t care. The female was acting like a stupid little child whining and degrading herself, he hated that.

“ _I know it isn’t but I can’t stop thinking at how horrible I am. I feel like no matter what I do nothing’s going to hel—”_

“ _Why do you hate yourself so much to the point that you—_ ”

“Um, excuse me but please do tone down a bit as we have other passengers here.” All of a sudden, the stewardess arrived in front of them.

Well that was embarrassing. The Japanese bowed while apologizing to the woman in English, he didn’t raise his head until she had left the two of them. Then he noticed Ayane leaving her seat, walking to the one two seats away from him. There weren’t much passengers as it was a night flight back to Toronto.

Kaye had to sit right next to him, apologizing about how her best friend acted. “Aya may not show it in front of anybody, but she’s pessimistic and hates herself.”

“But why?”

“I don’t even know if it’s okay to tell you, Yuzuru. But it’s something about her twin sister.”

Yuzuru remembered the story about Akane. But he still doesn’t get it. “Akane knew everything about her twin sister. But ever since she passed away, Aya felt like there will never be anyone who could understand her the way her twin sister did.”

“Yuzuru, Aya looks up to you so much. Please make her realize that there’ll always be other people who’s there for her.” Kaye bowed slightly in front of the male as she pleads. She herself does not know what to do anymore to help her own best friend.

“I could only be by her side, but I can’t make her realize. And I feel horrible as a best friend because of that.”

\---

Ever since their fight that night at the plane, Yuzuru and Ayane didn’t talk to each other, even when they were flying to Japan for the NHK Trophy, and even when they have already arrived and all that.

The airport had hundreds of people in the arrival hall waiting for Yuzuru. When they arrived with their luggage, the sound of the crowd going wild emitted while they wave the banners in their hands.

“Chica, are you still not going to talk to Yuzu?” Asked the Spanish skater who was beside the female.

“… I can’t.” She whispered as a reply, gripping on her bag strap tightly as they walk. “I’m scared of talking to him after the stupid things I spat.”

While Yuzuru planned on staying at home with his family, Brian, Javier and Ayane were staying at a hotel closer to the Sekisui Heim Super Arena which was the venue for the competition. Tomorrow was the start of the two skaters’ practice; so for today, they all plan on a little sightseeing—but the female decided not to and locked herself inside her own room.

“I’ve never seen Aya been this down before.” Commented Brian with Javier beside him as they walk around the hotel.

The Spanish skater nodded as he agree on his coach’s statement, “She’s also very embarrassed about how she fought Yuzu back then. But the boy’s been waiting for her to start talking to him since he himself is also scared of saying something wrong and making them fight again.”

“They’re going nowhere,” The coach sighs, “And we even promised Kaye to keep them together to help Aya.”

Sightseeing wasn’t really fun without their favorite girl with them, and especially when the places they went to were all for Ayane to see. Even Yuzuru wasn’t up to it when he talked about each places they went to, being born in Miyagi.

“You know what, let’s cut this short. We’re all tired and all, and Aya isn’t even here so let’s all go to our own rooms and get some sleep, ‘kay?” Brian brought up as he decided to cancel everything.

The two skaters nodded as none of them had the will to even have dinner. Everything was ruined all because the very person they wanted to show Japan to was missing in action. This made Yuzuru feel even guiltier.

The very next day, Ayane was practically dragged by Javier to the competition venue for morning practice saying something about looking after his ‘client’ being the ‘bodyguard’.

“Isn’t this bodyguard thing just an excuse to get me to go to Japan with you guys?” She said, her wrist being pulled by the Spanish skater as they walk to the rink where they saw different skaters skating and practicing their short programs.

Well, yes and no. The very reason why the half-Japanese female was brought to Japan was because of Yuzuru’s request to bring her, saying that he wanted to show her something. And since Kaye asked a favor from Javier and Brian, they thought that it was the perfect opportunity.

“Hold Pooh-san for me?”

The familiar voice that she has not been hearing for days have finally rang in her ears as she faces Yuzuru who walked up to her with a smile. “We close to practicing.”

She was suddenly succumbed to guilt once she saw his captivating smile. Oh how she missed those lips of his tugging from both ends upwards with his perfect teeth showing and his eyes disappearing along with it.

 _I’m sorry, Yuzu._ Those words just couldn’t leave her mouth for some reason.

Nonetheless, she took his precious tissue box and off he skates in the middle of the rink as he warms up.

Ayane faced the Pooh tissue box in front of her, “Was it a shitty move to lock inside the room the whole time yesterday?” She asked herself—or maybe, to Pooh.

She noticed Yuzuru skating back up to her, planning on taking a tissue from Pooh maybe. “ _Make sure to watch me at the competition, especially the exhibition program, okay?_ ” He said as he pulls a tissue or two from his tissue box.

The female was only able to nod, she wouldn’t miss it for the world. Although she wonders if she could also stand right next to Brian close to the barriers since she has an ID for it, or maybe she’s only allowed to sit close to the benches.

\---

Time flew so fast that before Ayane knew, it was finally the day of the Free Skate. Just two days ago Yuzuru won first for the Short Program with Javier in third. And now today was what the female would like to call ‘Judgement Day’ as it was the very last day of the competition where they will know their total scores and what place they’ll be getting.

The Japanese male was last to skate, while the Spaniard was seventh. Speaking of Javier, he was finally up after Ross Miner. He was going to skate to a Charlie Chaplin Medley in which Ayane finds fun to watch.

“Go kick—I mean… Skate? Some butt there?” The female said as she thinks of words of encouragement for the Spanish skater, but failed.

This made him laugh and pat her head. “That sounded so wrong, Chica.”

“I know right, but whatever! Go do your thing. I know you can do it.” Ayane smiled before she watches him skate off to the center as he positions for his starting pose as he waits for the music to start.

And thus he got a score of 146.55 in which he sits in second place. The total segment score was 232.78, roughly 3 points lower than the previous skater before him which made him sit in second.

Ayane walked to the backstage to find Yuzuru warming up in his costume. Right after Daisuke Takahashi will be his turn thus he has four minutes or so to get ready for it. Even when she was right in front of him, she still couldn’t apologize for that fight back then.

She knew she acted like an immature kid whining, but that was her nature. She couldn’t stop thinking about negative thoughts every single day, and it’s always the most horrible when she loses a competition.

Yuzuru, who was too busy to look around his surroundings while warming up, had an earphone on his left ear and thus he heard Daisuke’s score which reminded him that it was finally his turn in a few minutes. This made him walk to the rink, noticing Ayane by the doorway.

“Ayane! Is gonna be my turn.” He smiled, taking her hand. “Watch please.”

He’s in Japan and yet he thought of speaking in English in front of the female. She chuckled and nodded as she is led by the Japanese to the rink where they meet Brian holding onto Pooh-san.

“Go skate some butt there, Yuzuru!” Ayane said the same stupid words of encouragement she gave Javier before. This made the Japanese tilt his head confused, then laughed right after.

“I’m not getting it.” He replied.

“I don’t get myself too, so ignore what I said.” Well, it’s now quite clear that she can’t be a figure skating coach with horrible words of encouragement.

Yuzuru squat down, his hands holding onto the barriers. Before pushing himself back to skate to the center, he patted Pooh-san’s head and pinched Ayane’s cheek.

“Back in good terms again?” Asked the figure skating coach, looking at the flustered female that was holding onto her pinched cheek.

“It just… Kinda happened.”

When Yuzuru’s Free Skate music Notre Dame de Paris started, Ayane could only watch silently at how the Japanese skates.

It was amazing. He nailed all his jumps through the first half, just fell on his last on the second half and made a mistake on his sit spin in which he just ended up smiling it off. How can he just shrug that mistake off—on top of it, smiling it off as if nothing happened? As if negative thoughts weren’t lingering in his head while it happened.

He ended the program with his pose, and ended up smiling. He glanced over to his coach and friend who watched over by the barriers, tilting his head with a smile.

 _Ah fuck, that was so cute._ Ayane thought to herself as that specific head tilt smile was going to be etched in her mind forever.

The crowd went wild as majority of them threw gifts to the ice while the Japanese skater left the rink with his skate guards on. He went with Brian to the Kiss & Cry, Ayane staying by the barriers as she thought of just watching them by there.

“ _Hanyu Yuzuru’s score is 165.71 with a total score of 261.03. He is in first place. This concludes the Men’s’ Free Skate._ ”

As if a weight has been lifted off Yuzuru’s shoulders, he leaned back with a sigh in relief while smiling to Brian and then giving him a high five. A smile was brought up to Ayane’s lips as she jumps up and down once she heard the male’s score.

Yuzuru ran up to Ayane, immediately hugging her tightly. “ _I won gold!”_ He cheered.

“ _Yes you did. Good for you._ ” She patted his head in which she needed to tiptoe to be able to reach it.

“ _You’re so small, Ayane._ ” Chuckled the Japanese skater, pinching her two cheeks harder as he missed doing so.

She pushed him lightly away from her once she heard his offending joke about her height, “Oh my God, you did not just made fun of my height!”

Surprisingly, the two kept joking around each other until the male was called out for an interview. Ayane ended up walking to the backstage to wait for him, Brian and Javier—who is nowhere to be found as of the moment.

Immediately right after the Free Skate event was finally the exhibition gala. This was one of Ayane’s favorite part to watch as skaters who were invited to perform—besides the winners—get to perform beautiful programs full of emotions and artistry.

This time, she didn’t know what Yuzuru’s program was which made her feel excited to watch. It surprised her when he arrived from backstage wearing a blue and white yukata-like costume with a beautiful flowery design and rhinestones.

“Pretty.” She muttered as she stood frozen in her position as she watches him walk to the rink.

“Yuzuru or the costume?” Javier smirked, nudging the female’s arm.

“Both.”

Before Yuzuru could skate in the middle, he looked up to the female mouthing something to her. _“Watch me.”_

He stood in the center as he waited for the song to start. When the familiar piano playing echoed in his ears, he moved in sync with the music, even lip syncing to the very first lyrics of the song.

As much as Ayane was struggling with Japanese, she understood everything. And thus it was making her cry, as if the song just stabbed her heart.

Yuzuru, although he knew that the program was for his hometown, he couldn’t help but think about the plump female while skating. Everything he wanted to tell her back then at the plane back to Toronto was all written in this very song.

Tears couldn’t stop falling Ayane’s face as she listens to the song while watching Yuzuru’s graceful skating. As if the song was not emotional enough for her, his skating multiplied it by ten.

And when the song finished and he was skating off the rink and wearing his skate guards, he was approached by a teary-eyed half-Japanese female with a tight hug from her.

“ _I’m sorry, Yuzu. I’m so sorry about the thing back at the plane. I’m so sorry for not talking to you for so many days when everything was my fault. I’m so, so sorry._ ”

He smiled, caressing the back of her head as she cries on his chest, his costume getting soaked with tears. “ _I’m sorry for not putting my thoughts through back then. I’m sorry for getting mad and raising my voice._ ” He whispered.

“ _You’re an amazing person, Ayane. And you don’t need to give up no matter how hard it is. It’s harder to give up on something you love than feeling crushing defeat every time. You just have to keep standing up no matter what happens, because future will surely bloom into something beautiful like a flower.”_

“ _Please don’t think low of yourself. If you can’t love yourself, there are so many people who will. Including me.”_

With so many things that Yuzuru had said—in which Ayane understood miraculously thanks to her now everyday Japanese lessons with her father—she didn’t know what to say. She looked up to him—avoiding his eyes as she was never good at eye contact in the first place—and uttered a thank you with tears falling from her eyes once again.

The Japanese smile back. His usual smile that made his eyes wrinkle as if he was very, very happy.

Then, the plump female was suddenly pulled away by Javier to the backstage when he realized that reporters were about to swarm Yuzuru.

“ _Hanyu-senshu, how did you feel about your beautiful exhibition program?_ ” Asks one reporter as he moves his microphone to the Japanese skater.

“ _Surprisingly, I dedicated this to my hometown that was recently struck by the earthquake. I skated to this song to remind them all to keep on moving forward, and that everything is going to be okay._ ” Yuzuru answered with a smile plastered on his face.

“ _What was the ‘surprising’ thing though?_ ” Asked another reporter.

“ _The surprising thing was that I was thinking of somebody else while I was skating._ ”


	17. Chapter 17

“I am not going to the banquet!”

At this very moment, Ayane is holding onto the doorknob as she is being pulled by Javier Fernandez, forcing the female to attend the banquet. It was Brian’s idea as he wasn’t ‘in the mood’ to attend, and being Yuzuru’s bodyguard, she was ordered to look after him and the Spanish skater.

“Look after you guys my ass! I’m no coach nor figure skater to attend one!” She yelled, losing grip on the doorknob which was the only thing that could save her life.

“But Ayane it’s going to be fun!” The male reasoned. “Yuzu’s gonna be there and all!”

“NO!”

“YES!”

“I don’t even have a motherfucking dress to wear so stop!” She said, finally having the strength to use her feet and run inside her room, slamming the door shut ending up with Javier banging on her door.

She could hear his voice ringing outside. The way how clear his voice was wear obvious that he was shouting really loud—enough for the other people in their own rooms to hear in which Ayane found embarrassing to do. But she didn’t want to join the banquet, so she won’t be leaving her room for a while.

Speaking of banquets, she remembered how alone she was back then when she joined the event. It was actually her fault for being shy, but through the whole years of figure skating back then, she never had a friend.

Well, besides Javier Fernandez. They met at Junior Worlds 2008—specifically at the banquet, and he was just that talkative Spanish guy who loved making friends with other people.

_“Alone?” All of a sudden, a Spanish skater approached a lonely 13-year-old Ayane sitting in a table._

_She looked up then back at her plate of food as she was very bad with eye contact. Her head nodded shyly while humming as a reply._

_“A pretty girl like you shouldn’t be alone though!” He exclaimed, then took a vacant chair close by, positioning it close to the female’s table then placed his plate of food on the table. “You’re pretty shy, huh? Are you Japanese?”_

_The female raised an eyebrow, “Are Japanese people really that shy?” She asked, “I think they’re just polite and being kind.”_

_“So you really are Japanese?” Javier asked, leaning his back on the chair._

_Ayane nodded, taking her spoon. “Half. I’m from Canada.” She answered, taking a spoonful of food in her mouth. “I guess you’re Spanish with that accent.”_

_The Spanish skater formed an ‘OK’ hand gesture while nodding. He asked a few more questions about her, one which was her age, and he was quite surprised to know that she was thirteen._

_“Wow, really? That’s pretty nice, I was still a novice at that age.” He said, spinning his fork in the spaghetti on his plate, then taking all the pasta he got into his mouth. “You must be pretty talented then.”_

_Ayane shook her head, sticking her tongue out as she remembers how much she failed on her short program. “Nah, I’m 7 th overall.”_

_“That’s better than 13 th!” Replied Javier with food in his mouth. _

_“Wow, swallow your food, boy. That’s pretty rude for other people. Be lucky you’re talking like that in front of me. My mom and dad would’ve scolded you by now.” Replied the female, handing him a tissue once she noticed spaghetti sauce on the sides of his mouth._

_The Spaniard accepted her tissue, wiping his mouth with it, “I didn’t catch your name?”_

_“Ayane Oshiro.”_

_“Javier Fernandez.”_

_And that’s the story about how Ayane’s first figure skating friend came to be._

“Chica, if you don’t open the door I will kick—”

“And risk paying the damages? Sure, go do that. It won’t be my fault though!” Ayane yelled so that Javier could hear her loud and clear. He must have heard her statement since she didn’t hear any more pounding right after saying it.

He sighed and knocked the door once more—much calmer than what he did a few minutes ago—just to get the plump female’s attention. “Thinking about banquets reminds me of our first meeting at World Junior Championships 2008.”

“And then we just coincidentally kept seeing each other and you later opened up to me about your,” He clears his throat with a sinister smile on his face, “UNDYING LOVE FOR YU—”

Before he could ever finish his sentence, Ayane unlocks the door, opens it, and gave the Spaniard a hard punch in the stomach. It was painful, but it was worth it knowing that the female finally opened the door for him.

Javier held onto his stomach with a mocking smile on his face, “But really, you remembered that, right chica?”

_“Gonna watch the men’s free skate?” Ayane turned around to see Javier Fernandez walking down and then sitting on a seat right next to her._

_“You’re competing in seniors’ now, right?” She asked, dangling her legs while waiting for the competition to start. So far, the first group of skaters were doing their warm up._

_Javier nodded, leaning into the railings to get a perfect look at the skaters. “Hey, look. Your beloved Yuzuru Hanyu!” He pointed the male Japanese skater in the middle of the rink._

_“Shut your mouth you piece of trash,” The female spat, glaring at him. “I regret ever telling you about this secret of mine.”_

_“Isn’t it because I’m one of your closest friends here in figure skating?” He glanced over to her with a smile, in which Ayane was able to smile back as it seemed like the Spanish skater’s smiles were completely contagious._

_She sighed and ended up nodding in defeat. Besides her best friend Kaye, in the figure skating world, Javier was her only friend._

_“Are you okay? How was ladies’ free, what’s your rank?” He asked, knowing how much hate she receives from people._

_Ayane shrugged, crossing her legs. “4 th. I didn’t even get one bouquet from the audience after my program, haha.”_

_She received a hard slap in the back. It was loud as a clap and it stung her upper back, this made her straighten her back once she felt it and let out a scream. “Don’t give up, ‘kay? I want to see you at seniors’!”_

_“Since when were good luck back slaps that painful!?”_

“Okay, now that I’ve finally let you out of your room,” Javier pulled Ayane, and with his sheer willpower, he carried her in his shoulders as he brings her to the lobby where Brian has been waiting.

The plump female kept punching his back and dangling her legs in hopes of escaping. She can actually easily escape him—she has trained enough self-defense do know—though she wouldn’t want to hurt her precious Spanish friend. “How in heaven’s name could you carry a 60kg woman, Javi!?”

“Sheer willpower!” He exclaimed, showing his ‘invisible’ muscles on his upper left arm. No seriously, Ayane ain’t seeing any muscles there.

The plump female ended up giving up as she was being carried to Brian—with a few struggles since 60kg is heavy. She was put down right after they finally met the coach who was sitting on a bench, suspiciously carrying a paper bag from… Forever 21.

“What brings me here?” Ayane brought up to start the conversation, eyeing Brian’s Forever 21 bag suspiciously.

Brian smiled and handed her the bag, “Have fun at the banquet!”

The half-Japanese sighed as if she saw that coming and snatched the bag from him. “How did you know my size?”

“I’ve raised you just as long as your parents did, I gave you clothes as your birthday and Christmas presents back then. How can I not know your dress size, Aya?” Replied the coach with a chuckle as he earned a scoff from her.

 “Javi meet me outside my door,” She sighed. “I’m going… I’m going to the fucking banquet.”

As she continues to walk away, Javier and his coach gave each other a fist bump before the Spaniard could chase after the female whose back was bent in complete frustration—she really didn’t want to go.

“Are you done yet?” Javier yelled from outside her room as he stands in front of her doorstep while fiddling his phone.

Ayane yelled back with a tone of frustration, cursing at how she was having trouble zipping up the zipper on her back. It took her a few minutes to finally zip it up, and then she took a quick look at her dress.

 _Oh wow, never underestimate Uncle Brian’s fashion sense. It’s better than mine!_ She thought to herself while turning around to admire the dress. It was a simple taupe-colored dress with ¾ long loose sleeves and a skater skirt fell just above her knees. There were no kinds of glitters or rhinestones whatsoever, simple dresses just fit her perfectly.

Brian’s gifts for her have always been her favorite to wear, and as much as she didn’t like wearing dresses, this was going to her clothes rack where she puts her favorite clothes. She proceeded to wearing her brown-colored converse because why not—she didn’t bring footwear that fits the dress, so why not her favorite sneakers she always uses for casual wear?

Disregarding on putting makeup on and fixing her hair, she opened the door and there she met Javier who has been waiting for half an hour. “Hi, hello. I’m done.”

“Ah, finally! Let’s go,” The Spanish skater sighs in relief, “Yuzu’s been waiting for I don’t know how long. He’s been texting me though.”

He starts walking away with the female lagging behind her. Then he turned his head smiling, “By the way, that dress is really good on you.”

“I am speechless with Uncle Brian’s fashion sense, honestly.” Ayane chuckled.

\---

“You guys takes so long!” Yuzuru, with his accented English, commented as he gives out a relieved smile after waiting for an hour and a half for his friends to arrive.

Javier chuckled then pointed Ayane with his thumb, “Blame Ayane, it took me an hour to persuade her to join the banquet, and half an hour for her to get ready.”

“I even thought you were trying to put on makeup or something! It only takes me ten minutes to get ready just by changing clothes, you know!” He added, shaking his head.

“Excuse me, Mr. Javier Fernandez. I am a female who still cares about how presentable she will be in a party I don’t even belong to.” The plump female replied with a sarcastic tone.

The Spanish skater pointed her converse sneakers and said a sarcastic comment about being presentable, “Really. Well, those sneakers don’t look very presentable with that dress.”

Ayane gasped, “But dresses are always a good match for converse sneakers!” She counterattacked as she starts explaining why and what not in which Javier ignored the whole time, while Yuzuru seemed to listen intently while asking a few questions about words unfamiliar to him.

In all honesty, the Japanese was only listening for English practice and has no interest in her horrible fashion sense whatsoever.

And now they went to the banquet venue. By the time they entered inside, Yuzuru and Javier were immediately swept away by different skaters, leaving Ayane alone—just like back then at Junior Worlds 2008.

 _Yeah, sure. Go leave me you good-for-nothing ‘gentlemen’._ She thought rolling her eyes while helping herself with a plate and getting food from the buffet table.

“No way!”

Ayane, surprised, looked up to the direction where she heard a female exclaim. Once she turned around she found Maia Shibutani, an ice dancer whose partner was his brother, Alex Shibutani. An eyebrow raised from her face as she becomes confused when the female ice dancer gasped once again once she saw the plump female’s face.

“Um… Do I know you?” Of course Ayane knows her, she watches ice dancing programs as well. But it’s still not known why Maia is surprised seeing her.

“You’re Ayane Oshiro, right?!” The female ice dancer asked, pointing her with a still surprised expression.

The plump female shrugged and nodded, “Well yeah.”

“You’ve changed a lot,” Maia said, referring to her body which made Ayane scowl. “You’re back in figure skating?”

She shook her hand, “Wait, wait, wait. First and foremost…. How the hell do you know me?” The half-Japanese female asked, pointer herself with her right index finger, her left hand holding onto her plate with precious chocolates.

“I’ve always watched other categories before or after our competitions. So I’ve watched you before.” Maia answered, grinning. “People didn’t like how you skate because they say you ‘weren’t’,” She used her two fingers in each of her hands to make quotation marks, “Graceful compared to the others.”

“But us skaters, we think you’re amazing, Ayane.”

A small smile appeared on Ayane’s face, “That’s very nice of you.”

Her comment made the female ice dancer smile, “So, when did you come back?”

“Sorry to burst your bubble, Maia, but I didn’t come back.” Ayane sighed, “I’m currently babysitting two guys in this banquet since their coach wasn’t in the mood to join in the banquet.”

Maia’s smile faded as she heard her statement, “Aw, too bad. We really wanted to be friends with you back then.” She said, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. “You seemed really shy so we didn’t know how to approach you. It was a bummer that you suddenly disappeared after Junior Grand Prix 2009.”

“Sorry for that.” Ayane replied, slightly bowing. “Just… A few issues.”

“I almost threw a hissy fit in social media when people couldn’t stop talking bad about you,” The ice dancer chuckled, “Alex stopped me though since it might become an issue. But seriously, we all think you didn’t deserve that treatment.”

Once again the plump female thanked her, even bowing 90 degrees to show her how she appreciates it. They ended up talking for a while, a little catching up—most especially on how she was doing. Maia was amazed about how she started her taekwondo career after figure skating.

“So who are you with? Who’re the two guys you’re babysitting?” The female ice dancer asked.

Just then, they saw Javier leading the conga line with Yuzuru behind him while dancing to the upbeat music blasting in the speakers. Ayane started laughing at how her two male friends were having fun.

“Those guys,” She said, referring to the Japanese and Spaniard. “Those are the ‘babies’ I’m ‘looking after’.”

“Are you their manager or something?”

Ayane shrugged, “Technically, I’m just looking after Yuzuru. But I think it’s just their lame excuse to take me to Japan.”

“Aw, you guys must be really close.” She replied.

“They’re close. Not me, I’m just—”

“Chica come join us!” And then all of a sudden, the female was pulled by Javier to join the conga dance. Maia joins in from behind, the last person being Mirai Nagasu.

\---

It took the other skaters right after the conga line dance to realize who Ayane was. There were nobody who didn’t knew her, being the ‘mysterious skater who disappeared in Junior Grand Prix 2009’. She was the number one trending news for three days after the very competition, so it was unlikely for other people not to know.

“But I did not know her.” Yuzuru answered, almost all of the skaters gasping once they heard him say that.

“You’re not that updated, huh?” Alex Shibutani, the older brother of Maia said.

The Japanese smiled sheepishly while nodding. “Yuzu’s kind of married to ice skating right now so he has no idea what’s going on about anything outside men’s category figure skating.” Ayane teased making everyone laugh at her joke.

“Yeah, like every rink is his wives or something!” Javier added, earning a high five from the female.

“But back then I’ve always noticed Ayane being close to Javier,” Kevin commented, “Junior Worlds 2008 he was the only person she talked to.”

The Spanish skater chuckled, “Chica doesn’t talk to anyone unless you talk to her first. That’s how she rolls. But get on her bad side, you’ll get to taste her feet. Or get a stomach ache, a headache—she’ll basically hurt you.”

And that’s when a few of the female skaters approached Ayane while giving their numbers and social media links and usernames, “We should really keep in touch, Ayane!” Maia chimed typing in her number on the plump female.

Although Ayane found it weird for them to even keep in touch with her—who has no more connection in figure skating whatsoever—she typed in her own information in their phones. _They want to be friends with me, why not?_

And right after the banquet, the three went to the hotel—Yuzuru following them only because he wanted to have a chat with his friends one last time.

“It’s kind of weird to gain friends from a place where I don’t belong.” Ayane brought up while they walk back to the hotel.

“That’s because they all wanted to talk to you back then but couldn’t. So they took the opportunity when you were in the banquet,” Javier answered, “Figure skaters are friendly people who likes getting along other skaters.”

“But I gave up.” The female replied, stressing each word she said.

“It doesn’t matter! Keep this as a reminder that there are other people who are really nice. It’s not just me and Yuzu and coach, and your best friend Kaye also.”

Yuzuru smiled and waved at Ayane when he noticed her looking at him. Then, the two shared a group hug, Ayane in the middle with her two arms wrapped around the two males’ waists as she was too short to sling them around their shoulders.

“Man, I don’t know what I’d be doing right now if I never met you guys.”


End file.
